The Battle in Journey to the West

Tang Sanzang and his companions were imprisoned within the Wuzhuang Temple by Zhen Yuanzi, and naturally, the Buddhist sect would not stand for this. Wisdom Bodhisattva disguised himself as Yin Xi to rescue them, but was struck down by a palm from Zhen Yuanzi.

Zhen Yuanzi, known as the Ancestral Earth Immortal, wouldn’t dare assume such a prestigious title without remarkable skill. His palm strike sent shivers down the spines of numerous bodhisattvas and arhats of the Buddhist sect, infuriating only those Buddha Ancestors of great abilities.

Dipankara Buddha had previously suffered a great loss at the hands of Zhen Yuanzi and doubted his own ability to stand against this Ancestral Earth Immortal, whose mana had reached the quasi-saint level. Only the likes of the Ming River or the formidable figure Peacock Great Ming King Bodhisattva could possibly contend with Zhen Yuanzi.

The death of Wisdom Bodhisattva naturally caused a great stir within the Buddhist sect; no one had anticipated that Zhen Yuanzi’s methods were so powerful.

Tathagata’s face darkened as he said, "Wisdom Bodhisattva really did something foolish, disguising as someone from their sect, thus giving them a pretext and leverage! This is most troubling!"

Dipankara Buddha said, "We renunciates do not lie, yet Wisdom Bodhisattva disguised himself as another. Despite his good intentions, such actions are hardly commendable."

Tathagata, feeling indignant, knew that both the Buddhist and Taoist sects were testing each other on the road; although Monkey King had killed many demons and ghosts, those were minor events. Now, the real battle had begun, and Buddhism had initially fallen behind, directly giving Zhen Yuanzi a pretext. If it came to a siege, it’s likely that the ancestors of the Louguan Sect such as Yin Xi would not sit idly by. If the Louguan Sect got involved, it would be even more difficult to handle! The Louguan Sect had good relations with many of the Guanlong nobility. If they started exerting influence from Emperor Taizong of Tang, the very foundation of the Buddhist sect could be destroyed in an instant.

For the Buddhist sect, the Louguan Sect was like a fishbone stuck in the throat, and Laozi’s move to undercut the sect was exceedingly vicious. Moreover, the Louguan Sect’s study of the "Huahu Scripture" strongly advocated the notion that Buddhism stemmed from Taoism, which made the people of the Eastern Land naturally regard Buddhism as inferior to Taoism.

Laozi reincarnated as Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, civilizing the barbarians—this notion alone made the people of the Eastern Land feel pride.