The journey to the Journey to the West appears to be dominated by Buddhism, but apart from Tang Sanzang being the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi and a true Buddhism, everything else was actually related to the Heavenly Court.
The eldest disciple Sun Wukong, was Stone Monkey born of heaven and earth, and since he was born without any background and could not choose sides, we will not discuss him further.
The second disciple, Zhu Bajie, is the reincarnation of Marshal Tianpeng, and is a true Taoism disciple under the Three Pure Ones.
The third disciple, Sha Wujing, was a descendant of the Curtain-Rolling General. In his previous life, he was also a member of the Heavenly Court, so naturally, he had nothing to do with Buddhism.
It can be said that although these individuals were later granted titles by Buddhism, they were actually Daoists who were simply earning merit during their Journey to the West.
It may seem that Daoism is not at a disadvantage, but after all, the Journey to the West Calamity was initiated to make amends for the karma of the Western Sect, so the lion's share still belongs to the Buddhist Sect.
Moreover, Buddhist Sect rose to prominence at this moment, successfully penetrating the interior of the Southern Jambudvipa Continent, thereby influencing lower dimensions and even the myriad realms, reaping the benefits of incense offerings and faith from the human world.
At least according to Xu Xiao's knowledge, the journey to the Journey to the West ended with the introduction of foreign Buddhas to the Eastern Land and the flourishing of Buddhism.
After hearing Grand Master Xuandu's words, Xu Xiao knew who he wanted to replace.
The members of the Journey to the Journey to the West were all assigned to their respective groups. The leader, Jin Chanzi, had already begun his ten reincarnations. For the sake of Buddhism's reputation, the leader could not be changed.
Sun Wukong is Lingming Stone Monkey, a fact that is evident to all, and he was born to fulfill a calamity, which cannot be changed.
As for the rest, Sha Wujing has too little presence, the White Dragon Horse is just a mount, and the only one who can be explored is Zhu Bajie.
After all, his roots were in the Daoist Sect, and he had a very close relationship with the Three Pure Ones. It's possible that he was originally destined to Immortal Ascension through the tribulations of the Journey to the Journey to the West.
'If I'm just asked to replace Zhu Bajie, do I have to be reincarnated as a pig? That's too high a price to pay!'
Reincarnation is a troublesome matter that fundamentally changes one's origins, and Xu Xiao is not prepared to pay that price.
'If I were truly to take on the position of the Tianpeng, this reincarnated pig would be absolutely unsuitable; no one could do it!'
Xu Xiao made up his mind, then looked at Grand Master Xuandu.
"Since my master uncle wants me to join the Journey to the West, I naturally agree. However, there are a few things my master uncle must promise me."
"Sure, you can tell me first. As long as it's not excessive, I can agree to anything." Grand Master Xuandu looked at Xu Xiao kindly, gesturing for him to speak freely.
"First, my senior master needs to clearly explain to me what I need to do, including what I can and cannot do, without any ambiguity."
"Secondly, my senior master must shield me from the pressure from the Western Sect and the Heavenly Court. My strength is insufficient to withstand the machinations of those with ulterior motives."
"Thirdly, my master probably intends for me to replace Tianpeng on the journey to the Journey to the West, but this matter of demoting me to a pig fetus is absolutely unacceptable to me."
"Fourth, since my master has asked me to guarantee a smooth Journey to the West and to prevent the monkey from joining Buddhism, then I will have to use other methods. I hope my master will cover for me."
"Fifth..."
Xu Xiao listed several points, covering everything from personal safety to post-incident responsibility, which made Grand Master Xuandu frown and smile wryly.
"Alright, alright, I agree. You haven't even done anything yet, but you've already made so many demands."
"I'm doing this for safety's sake. This Journey to the West Calamity is a tribulation set by the Sage. If I, with my shallow cultivation, were to get involved, I might end up with my soul scattered."
"Alright, don't make it sound so serious. No one can make your soul disappear."
Grand Master Xuandu put on a stern face and said seriously:
"My admission that you are a disciple of the Three Pure Ones is not a reason to agree to your acceptance, but the truth: no one can make your soul disappear."
"It would be best if you could succeed in this journey to the Journey to the West, but if you fail, we won't blame you. We'll just consider it as you gaining some merit from the Heavenly Dao."
"As for the Sage, rest assured. Our teachers are still in the Purple Cloud Palace, and the Heavenly Dao won't interfere much with us. Just ensure the Journey to the West is completed smoothly; as for the outcome..."
Grand Master Xuandu gave Xu Xiao a meaningful look, "I believe in you. Even if it weren't for us, you would do your best for your own path."
With a wave of his hand, the mottled Dao trace Sea of Consciousness Xu Xiao's Sea of Consciousness was completely left there, and the figure of Grand Master Xuandu also disappeared.
" Zhenwu will tell you the rest. Just tell him what you want to do next."
Xu Xiao turned around, having already withdrawn from his Sea of Consciousness, and stood before Zhenwu, who wore a smiling expression.
"How did your talk with your teacher go?"
Xu Xiao spread his hands, making a troubled expression. "Senior brother, you really knew I was the one from the very beginning!"
"No! Don't talk nonsense. Senior brother didn't scheme against you. It's just that you came at the right time, junior brother. We needed someone like you, so we introduced you to the teacher."
Zhenwu waved his hand and hurriedly explained, even putting his arm around Xu Xiao's shoulder as he continued:
"This Journey to the West Calamity isn't necessarily a bad thing!"
"Junior brother, Heavenly Dao merit is a top-notch resource for any cultivator. Even if this matter fails, you will still benefit from it. How could I possibly harm you?"
"Senior brother, you haven't mentioned a single word about the risks of being involved in such a massive calamity. I even considered you my closest relative."
Xu Xiao's wistful expression made even the great master Zhenwu feel a little embarrassed.
"This... Senior brother really isn't..." Zhenwu looked embarrassed. It was indeed he who had revealed to the higher-ups that his 'sincere' junior brother was a transmigrator, and he felt somewhat ashamed.
Fortunately, Xu Xiao wasn't trying to mock him; he was just teasing him. Since he had already promised Grand Master Xuandu, it would be foolish to put on a bad face with his senior brother Zhenwu.
"Alright, senior brother. I didn't mean to blame you. Either way, it's all for the sake of the Daoist Sect sect, so I'll just join in."
"Junior brother, you are truly sensible. You don't know, we've long since turned our backs on this Hu Buddha's missionary work. The fact that he's still coming Journey to the West to bolster their influence is something many of our fellow Daoist Sect, besides your senior brother, are unwilling to accept."
"Junior Brother is willing to participate this time. Whether it succeeds or not, all the gods Heavenly Immortal will owe you a favor."
Zhenwu looked solemn, as if he was truly grateful for Xu Xiao's help in joining the game.
Xu Xiao accepted this seriously. The struggle for incense offerings was second only to the struggle for Daoist cultivation. Since he had stepped forward and taken the lead, it was only right that they thanked him.
In other words, there are Sage suppressing the forces in Buddhism and Daoism. Otherwise, in other worlds, the struggle between incense and faith would often be accompanied by a great war between the pantheons, and the matter would not be considered over until the other side was wiped out.
Although the Journey to the West Calamity was about settling Buddhist Sect karma, it was actually about resolving the calamity of heaven and earth. The powerful figures above were willing to make concessions because they didn't need such a small amount.
But the countless gods and immortals below rely on incense and faith to sustain themselves, not to mention the upheavals and struggles of this primordial universe, the different outcomes of which are major events that affect all the heavens and myriad worlds.
We cannot yield an inch!