Chapter 518: Luo Fu Appears! Ququfu Sect? So What If We

In an instant, Buddha Tathagata dismissed this speculation.

In the previous great eon, the Holy Ones wielded their power freely, shattering heaven and earth, nearly plunging the Primordial World back into chaos.

Forced to act, Ancestor Hongjun, who had long since merged his body with the Dao, used the power of Heaven's Dao to reshape earth, fire, water, and air, divide heaven and earth, and form the current Three Realms.

Yet the newly formed Three Realms were far less stable than the former Primordial World.

Moreover, due to the grave mistakes the Six Holy Ones made during the Divine Investiture War, the Dao Ancestor ordered them to relocate beyond the Heavenly Heavens, forbidding them from entering the Three Realms unless summoned.

Thus, the current Three Realms are truly an age without Holy Ones.

Even Taiqing, the foremost of the Three Pure Ones, could only manifest as Taishang Laojun within the Three Realms.

Buddha Tathagata did not believe any Holy One would dare defy the Dao Ancestor's edicts.

As for Holy One incarnations, that was even more impossible.

As the master of Fomen, Buddha Tathagata himself stood behind by Holy Ones.

Under normal circumstances, Holy Ones rarely took notice of the Three Realms.

But the Journey to the West concerned whether Fomen could flourish, and the countless yuan eons of planning by Saints Jieyin and Zhunti—these two Holy Ones could not possibly ignore it.

If a Holy One intervened, those two Holy Ones would surely respond in kind.

As for conflicts below the Holy One level, they were scarcely noticed by Holy Ones; to them, all below the Holy One level were mere ants.

Moreover, as long as it did not involve the Holy One layer, not intervening personally had become the unspoken agreement among the Holy Ones in this age.

The Six Holy Ones still held reverence for Ancestor Hongjun's prohibition.

"If not a Holy One, then it must be the Space Dao. Few in the Three Realms excel in Space Dao—who could this figure be, an incarnation of some old friend?"

Buddha Tathagata regarded Luo Fu with scrutiny, mentally summoning numerous figures, rapidly matching them against Luo Fu's appearance.

Unfortunately, Buddha Tathagata recalled every great cultivator he knew who mastered Space Dao, yet none resembled Luo Fu.

"Buddha Tathagata greets you, friend. I do not know who this group master, this great deity… might be. Forgive my ignorance—I had no idea a great cultivator had emerged in the Three Realms."

Suppressing his many speculations, Buddha Tathagata bowed with his radiant Buddha image, asking tentatively.

"Hahaha! I am a wild cultivator of the mountains, long out of the Three Realms—it's natural you've never heard of me. Wait, your name, I've heard it thundering in my ears."

Luo Fu smiled meaningfully at Buddha Tathagata.

He was a transmigrator, not a native of the Primordial World; naturally, this world had no projection of his other selves, so Buddha Tathagata could not possibly know him.

As for Buddha Tathagata, he knew him well—extremely familiar.

After all, Buddha Tathagata's other identity was none other than Jie Sect's eldest disciple, Daoist Duobao.

As a disciple of Jie Sect, Luo Fu could not possibly fail to recognize his own eldest brother.

Luo Fu held genuine affection for Elder Brother Duobao; when he first transmigrated and had not yet activated his system, Duobao had guided him more than once.

Though guiding him was Duobao's duty as Jie Sect's eldest disciple, that did not prevent Luo Fu from remembering this kindness.

Of course, Luo Fu's affection extended only to the Primordial World's Daoist Duobao—the one who had not betrayed Jie Sect—not to the Buddha Tathagata before him.

Luo Fu had always been one who clearly distinguished gratitude from resentment; toward his own, he showed boundless care; toward traitors, he wielded thunderous, decisive measures.

Though Buddha Tathagata betrayed Jie Sect in the Journey to the West World, that did not lessen Luo Fu's loathing for him.

If Buddha Tathagata had not appeared before him, Luo Fu would have ignored him; for the current Luo Fu, a Quasi-Saint Realm Buddha Tathagata no longer stirred any interest.

But since they had met, he would certainly give Buddha Tathagata an unforgettable lesson.

"It seems we are old acquaintances. You must be the one behind Sun Wukong. You must know how vital this matter is to Fomen."

Hearing Luo Fu's evasive reply, Buddha Tathagata became even more certain Luo Fu was an incarnation of some familiar great cultivator.

Great cultivators in the Three Realms were few in number; to become one required opportunity, lineage, transmission, and fortune—all indispensable; one could not suddenly appear out of nowhere.

"Are you certain you wish to continue interfering, standing as an enemy to Fomen?"

Buddha Tathagata fixed his gaze on Luo Fu; his tone remained gentle, yet beneath it lay an implicit accusation.

The Journey to the West concerned Fomen's grand plan, and Sun Wukong was one of its central figures; interfering in his affairs meant sabotaging Fomen's grand plan.

"Group Master, don't waste words with this bald monk! A true hero doesn't suffer defeat before his eyes—let's leave now, and settle accounts with this bald monk later."

Sun Wukong, shouldering the Ruyi Jingu Bang, still had blood on his lips, speaking hastily, his eyes still filled with terror.

That previous battle had made him fully aware of the gulf between his strength and that of great cultivators.

Sun Wukong naturally acknowledged Luo Fu's strength, but from that battle, Buddha Tathagata was clearly a deeply unfathomable figure.

He was unsure whether Luo Fu could even match Buddha Tathagata.

Moreover, Buddha Tathagata clearly had powerful backing; two fists cannot fight four hands—under these circumstances, fleeing was the wisest choice.

"Ququfu Sect? Even if it stands as an enemy, so what? How I act is none of your business, traitor."

Luo Fu ignored Sun Wukong, gazing calmly at Buddha Tathagata, his voice brimming with dominance.

"Traitor? Ququfu Sect? So you truly are an old acquaintance. Since you insist on interfering in Fomen, let me test the source of your confidence."

Upon hearing the word "traitor," Buddha Tathagata's face remained radiant and solemn, yet a flash of cold light passed through his eyes.

As Jie Sect's eldest disciple who betrayed Jie Sect, this was undoubtedly Buddha Tathagata's greatest black history.

Now, as master of Fomen and one of the Three Realms' few great cultivators, this black history had long been silenced by all.

With his current status, Luo Fu was the first to dare call him a traitor to his face.

Luo Fu paid no mind to Buddha Tathagata's emotions; instead, he turned his gaze toward Sun Wukong.

"Sun Wukong, do you trust me?"

"I absolutely trust Group Master!" Sun Wukong, shouldering the Ruyi Jingu Bang, answered without hesitation.

He naturally trusted Luo Fu; having spent so long in the group, he had seen with his own eyes Luo Fu's strength and character.

"If you trust me, then continue the battle we just started—unleash all your potential. Don't worry; even if you die, I have the power to resurrect you."

Luo Fu's eyes glimmered with strange light, his voice subtly carrying a hint of enchantment.