Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 212 - 206 Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad Wants to Take Disciples [Subscription and Monthly Tickets Requested]_1
Sha Chen saw the choice and didn’t hesitate to refuse. It was impossible for him to leave; unless he became a Saint, he would never venture out in this lifetime. The outside world was so dangerous, yet here it was so safe. The maids all spoke so pleasantly, so he could only continue his cultivation like this. Thus, Sha Chen chose to refuse.
"Forgive me, Saint," he explained. "Although I am deeply grateful for the Jade Emperor’s reward, I only offer my thanks and dare not speak of other matters. However, leaving this place is not my wish, and joining Buddhism is something I have never considered."
Lord Lao Zi looked at him deeply, smiled, and asked, "Do you dislike Buddhism?"
Sha Chen’s scalp tingled. He did not understand the meaning behind Lord Lao Zi’s question, nor did he know his attitude towards Buddhism. All he knew was that Lord Lao Zi had facilitated the Journey to the West and had also recommended Sun Wukong and Tianpeng to the Jade Emperor. Indeed, apart from Sha Chen’s own role as the Great General for Folding the Curtain, both Sun Wukong and Tianpeng had been recommended by Lord Lao Zi, with Tianpeng being his top recommendation. In other words, Lord Lao Zi was actively promoting this matter.
However, Lord Lao Zi was a Taoist Ancestor, yet he was advocating for Buddhism’s cause. This left Sha Chen utterly confused about which side Lord Lao Zi truly favored. Of course, this was not something he could discuss recklessly.
"The Saint jests," he responded. "I am as lowly as an ant and regard all things under heaven with reverence. How could there be any talk of dislike?"
Lord Lao Zi continued, "If you don’t dislike Buddhism, why not join it?"
Under normal circumstances, Sha Chen would have retorted, "You, a gentleman, claim not to dislike men, so why don’t you take a man yourself?" But facing Lord Lao Zi, who was not only an External Incarnation but also a Sub-Sage, Sha Chen dared not speak so recklessly. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
He honestly replied, "The Saint must have forgotten that I prefer to cultivate in a low-profile manner and pay no heed to worldly affairs."
Lord Lao Zi seemed not to give up, pressing on, "If you join Buddhism, you can continue your cultivation. With Buddhism as your backing, you will be even less disturbed. Would that not be wonderful?"
Sha Chen said, "Joining Buddhism would require me to cultivate Buddhist methods, and I have no desire to switch my practice. Moreover, Buddhism has too many strict rules and regulations. While I prefer to be low-key, I dislike constraints and fear I might tarnish Buddhism’s reputation."
Seeing that Lord Lao Zi was about to question further, Sha Chen interjected, "Why is the Saint so anxious on behalf of Buddhism? Are you truly so close and affectionate with Buddhism? Your relationship seems excellent, so please, Lord Lao Zi, find someone else for your recommendation instead."
His words were sharp enough to crush one’s spirit; Sha Chen had truly taken Lord Lao Zi aback. It was true that he had been overly concerned about Buddhism, but no one had ever dared to mention it. Even if people knew, they wouldn’t dare to say it in front of him, but Sha Chen, pushed into a corner, blurted it out on the spot.
After speaking, Sha Chen regretted it. He was anxious, unsure if Lord Lao Zi would become angry. If Lord Lao Zi were to strike in anger and kill him, what would he do?
Surely he wouldn’t. I’ve treated him to good food and drink. If he still attacks me, that would be utterly shameless.
Lord Lao Zi just looked stunned briefly, unable to speak for a moment, but it wasn’t enough to make him angry enough to kill someone. He simply smiled and said, "I was merely speaking casually."
He no longer referred to himself as "this poor Taoist." Perhaps it was to intimidate Sha Chen and avoid demeaning himself, or maybe he felt that leaning so close to Lingjiu Mountain made calling himself "this poor Taoist" rather uncomfortable.
Just as Lord Lao Zi was about to leave, he suddenly picked up a piece of dark soil, sniffed it, and paused.
"General for Folding the Curtain, you are quite impressive," Lord Lao Zi noted. "Not only is your cultivation talent and strength exceptional, but your alchemy skills are also remarkable."
"This must be the waste material from refining the Xiantian Spirit-Grade Biyu Purple Rhodamine Pill, right? Judging by the dregs, the refinement was successful, and the quality is quite good too," he said.
Sha Chen was inwardly alarmed; it was no wonder that Lord Lao Zi, renowned in the Three Realms for his alchemy, was indeed extraordinary. Everything was just as Lord Lao Zi had described, without any discrepancy.
Lord Lao Zi found other dregs, picked them up, and sniffed them, accurately deducing the Elixirs that Sha Chen had been refining. This genuinely startled Sha Chen. It felt as if his alchemy skills were being stripped bare, leaving him no place to hide.
Little did he know, Lord Lao Zi was even more astounded. He had come here out of curiosity about Sha Chen, not knowing much more. Since his arrival, his heart had been in a constant state of shock, but as he rarely showed his emotions outwardly, Sha Chen remained unaware. Sha Chen owned such a large area of Post-Heaven Earth, cultivated numerous Elixirs that would make even Peak Daluo Jinxian envious, and possessed rare celestial wines like Pantao Wine and Osmanthus Wine. The quality of these wines was so high that even the Heavenly Court rarely saw their like. Lord Lao Zi could tell that Sha Chen possessed a considerable amount of these fine liquors. In other words, Sha Chen’s lifestyle was likely even more luxurious than the Jade Emperor’s by a fair measure. Perhaps only in terms of beautiful women did he fall short of the Jade Emperor.
However, this thought had barely crossed his mind when he saw Lady Di Yong practicing inside the cave palace. Lady Di Yong, a peerless beauty with alluring charm, was cultivating in the cave palace. It wouldn’t be surprising if she and Sha Chen shared intimate moments. In terms of beautiful women, Sha Chen was close to catching up with the Jade Emperor.
At first, he thought that was the extent of it. Then he saw the discarded dregs in the fields and deduced the variety of Elixirs Sha Chen had been refining. Initially, he found it merely novel. But when he realized the complexity and diverse range of Elixirs Sha Chen was capable of refining, he was utterly shocked.
Sha Chen’s cultivation talent was already extraordinary enough. Devoting himself entirely to cultivation must have consumed all his time. How then could he have found time to study the methods of alchemy?
He himself had many disciples. Among them, the most talented was his foremost disciple, Master Xuandu, followed by his second disciple, Immortal Huolong. Both were skilled at alchemy and possessed powerful Mana. Normally, their alchemy skills were considered among the best in the Three Realms, widely admired, and a source of pride for Lord Lao Zi.
However, Lord Lao Zi could tell that while Sha Chen’s alchemy level might not match Master Xuandu’s, it was more than a match for Immortal Huolong’s. This shocked him. Immortal Huolong had followed him for over a hundred thousand years. In the early years, he focused on cultivation, increasing his cultivation base and simultaneously learning alchemical knowledge. The latter tens of thousands of years were purely dedicated to alchemy, making him rich in experience and profound in skill. His alchemy skill had earned Lord Lao Zi’s approval, and he likely ranked among the top ten in the entire Three Realms.
Yet, Sha Chen actually matched Immortal Huolong.
Lord Lao Zi knew about Sha Chen. Although he was tens of thousands of years old, he had spent millennia doing nothing worthwhile, merely idling his days away in the Heavenly Court. It could be said that if the Jade Emperor hadn’t specifically chosen him and dispatched him on the Journey to the West, he would likely have spent his entire life as a mere curtain-lifting attendant. Reaching the True Immortal Taiyi realm would have been his limit. Let alone reaching his current Da Luo Golden Immortal Realm, which he achieved in just over a hundred years.
Furthermore, his alchemy level was so superb that it rivaled that of his second disciple, Immortal Huolong, whom he had praised for his great talent. Although Lord Lao Zi was inwardly shaken, his expression remained as calm and unreadable as ever.
Sha Chen, on the other hand, felt his heart pounding, secretly worrying, If I had known earlier, I would have buried the dregs. Why did I use them to fertilize the fields? Now, isn’t my identity as an alchemy expert going to be exposed!?
As he was lost in his chaotic thoughts, Lord Lao Zi said, "Sha Chen, I would like to examine some of your alchemy knowledge, may I?"
Although it was phrased as a question, he didn’t wait for Sha Chen’s reply and immediately began to eloquently pose a series of obscure and profound questions about alchemy. Sha Chen had originally intended to feign ignorance, either by not answering or by pretending he didn’t understand. But meeting Lord Lao Zi’s all-penetrating gaze, he dared not prevaricate and had to brace himself to answer. However, he still answered hesitantly and held back, his words seven parts truth and three parts falsehood, not revealing everything.
Even so, Lord Lao Zi was inwardly startled. A ripple went through his heart; he was somewhat shocked. What an incredible young man! I misjudged him before. His innate alchemy talent might be ordinary, but his alchemical knowledge is even more solid than Immortal Huolong’s.
Little did Lord Lao Zi know that Sha Chen was already holding back significantly. Had Sha Chen answered everything truthfully, Lord Lao Zi himself might not have compared favorably. After all, Sha Chen possessed the Shennong Danjing, a Dan Scripture reputed to contain the most complete alchemy techniques and knowledge. Even though he had only grasped the rudiments, he was already more knowledgeable than many long-established alchemy masters. This was because the knowledge he had obtained was the most comprehensive and profound. A phoenix, no matter how down on its luck, would not be inferior to a chicken.
Lord Lao Zi asked more than ten questions, and Sha Chen answered them all. Even though he was clearly holding back, it deepened the turmoil in Lord Lao Zi’s heart.
Finally, Lord Lao Zi posed several truly profound questions. Sha Chen genuinely struggled to answer these completely, only managing to stumble through truthful, albeit incomplete, responses. He believed, Since I struggled to fully answer these last few questions, Lord Lao Zi probably won’t think my alchemy knowledge is that profound, right!?
Little did Sha Chen know, Lord Lao Zi was even more astounded. This was because these questions pertained to knowledge Lord Lao Zi himself had accumulated through countless years of practicing alchemy and rich experience. It was knowledge derived from discussions he once had with Shen Nong. Anyone unfamiliar with this specific area of knowledge would typically be completely clueless or even answer incorrectly. Yet, Sha Chen not only avoided incorrect answers but even managed to answer about sixty to seventy percent correctly. This was something even Immortal Huolong couldn’t achieve. Without his personal instruction, even Master Xuandu would only barely manage, making him a Xiaobai compared to Sha Chen in this regard. The fact that Sha Chen could answer sixty to seventy percent correctly proved that his alchemy knowledge surpassed that of his two disciples.
Lord Lao Zi felt the thrill of discovering a rare talent, his heart shaken, yet his expression remained impassive. From the questioning, he discerned that Sha Chen had been holding back initially, but the last few questions had allowed him to probe Sha Chen’s true depth. Sha Chen’s knowledge was profound. Even if his innate talent was ordinary, he was destined to become an alchemy master of his generation.
Such individuals were highly sought after in the Three Realms, as cultivation was inseparable from Immortal Pills. No matter what one did, Immortal Pills were indispensable. Consequently, while many could refine some Immortal Pills to varying degrees, most only had superficial knowledge, operating at an apprentice’s level. True alchemy masters were exceedingly rare in the entire Three Realms. Alchemy Grandmasters were even rarer. Sha Chen showed the potential to become one; at the very least, he possessed the knowledge reserves required to become an Alchemy Grandmaster.
Lord Lao Zi didn’t know where Sha Chen had acquired such a vast reserve of knowledge. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck or some ancient inheritance. Regardless, he felt Sha Chen had immense potential.
Therefore, after the questioning concluded, Sha Chen expected Lord Lao Zi to dismiss him with a wave of his sleeve and depart, especially since he hadn’t answered everything perfectly and likely assumed Lord Lao Zi had lost interest. However, Lord Lao Zi was gazing at him with fiery intensity.
Delighted at finding such talent, Lord Lao Zi stood with his hands clasped behind his back and said, "Sha Chen, you are a fine prospect. With such heaven-reaching and earth-penetrating alchemical knowledge, it would be a waste if you do not take me as your master."
"Now, I, a Saint, wish to accept you as my disciple. Are you willing to take me as your master and become my third major disciple!?"
