Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 258 - 252: Tathagata Buddha visits Flowing Sand River? [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets] _1
Sha Chen’s incarnation never did meet the Tongtian Hierarch after all. However, the Golden Spirit Holy Mother found him and gave him a mission, one that completely took him by surprise.
The Golden Spirit Holy Mother said, "Sha Chen, you and Yunyao must leave Jinao Island immediately. Follow your three martial uncles to Aparagodaniya to carry out a task."
Sha Chen’s incarnation was somewhat confused and asked in astonishment, "What task is this?"
One of the Empresses San Xiao replied, "You’ll find out once you get there. Don’t ask so many questions. Rest assured, it’s very safe. Once you complete this mission, you will be eligible to meet your esteemed master."
If that’s the case, then I really can’t complete the mission, Sha Chen’s incarnation thought.
However, he kept his composure and chose to leave with the San Xiao.
He still rode the immortal crane Yunyao, while the Empresses San Xiao rode their clouds, heading out to sea towards Aparagodaniya. On their journey, Empress Yunxiao asked, "Sha Chen, why do you ride Yunyao? You could tread the clouds with us."
Sha Chen’s incarnation replied, "You should ask Senior Sister about that. She said she must be diligent in her role and do her job well."
Fairy Yunyao said, "Martial Uncle, please don’t ask anymore. The task my master has given me is to assist Junior Brother. As his immortal crane transport, naturally, I should let him ride."
Before the other Empresses San Xiao could speak, Yunyao muttered to herself, "At night, I’ll ride him."
Sha Chen’s incarnation’s cheek twitched; this was Fairy Yunyao’s wicked sense of humor, leaving him quite helpless. Yunyao also indicated that if he didn’t ride her during the day, she would still ride him at night, regardless. Not wanting to be at a disadvantage, Sha Chen decided to ride her to exhaustion during the day.
The Empresses San Xiao exchanged glances, thoroughly perplexed; they found it hard to understand the behavior of these young people.
Afterward, Empress Yunxiao explained to Sha Chen’s incarnation their destination and the purpose of their journey. It almost frightened Sha Chen’s incarnation so much that his legs went soft, and he struggled to keep his balance on Yunyao.
Empress Yunxiao said, "Our destination is Aparagodaniya, where we must find all those scripture pilgrims and eliminate them."
"Our primary target is to find that Sha Chen from the Flowing Sand River. He has recently gained much notoriety and is also Buddhism’s top choice for the pilgrimage."
Chen Sha exclaimed in shock, "Why is this?"
Empress Yunxiao replied, "The Sect Hierarch dislikes the great pilgrimage, so much so that he doesn’t even want to meet you because of it. Elder Martial Sister believes that what the Sect Hierarch dislikes, we should dislike too. So, we’ll help by getting rid of those chosen for the journey."
Chen Sha was nearly in tears. The Tongtian Hierarch had repeatedly expressed his desire for Sha Chen’s true self to become his disciple, yet now his students were out to kill him. What was this all about!? Moreover, they wanted his incarnation to kill his true self!?
Chen Sha wanted to cry but had no tears. He longed to explain to the Empresses San Xiao but couldn’t find a reason that would persuade them. In the end, he decided that since the journey was long, he would try to convince them slowly along the way.
「Flowing Sand River.」
Sha Chen was also aware of this matter, feeling just as speechless and even more worried. What if this leads to me being mistakenly killed!?
The power of the Empresses San Xiao was surely at the peak of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, perhaps even at the Quasi-Saint level, which was extremely formidable. Don’t be fooled by their delicate appearances; in the Divine Enthronement War, they achieved celebrated martial exploits. The twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect were all defeated by the three of them; they were seemingly invincible. It was only when the sage Laozi and Lord Yuan Shi personally intervened that they were eventually defeated and ascended during the Divine Enthronement. The Empresses San Xiao, whose defeat required the personal intervention of Saints, possessed absolutely extraordinary power, ranking above Guanyin, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and others.
Furthermore, if the three of them joined forces using the Primeval Chaos Gold Funnel to set up the Nine-Curve Yellow River Array, even the twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect might be annihilated if they stepped into it.
With such power, if they arrived here and, without hesitation, set up an array to destroy his cave dwelling, what then? Sha Chen didn’t believe that the Black Tortoise Armor, the Apricot Yellow Flag of Wuji, and the Sky Covering Umbrella could protect him completely. There were many things in the world that could counteract them, and he didn’t know the true extent of the Primeval Chaos Gold Funnel’s power, which was famously formidable in the Divine Enthronement War. If it were truly terrible and could destroy his dwelling, that would be troublesome.
After deep consideration, Sha Chen decided to have his incarnation delay them as much as possible while also trying to instill in them the idea that he was a good person. He couldn’t let those three women attack the moment they arrived; they had to have some reservations. Ideally, they would turn back.
Actually, Sha Chen also suspected this might be an intentional act by the Tongtian Hierarch. The Tongtian Hierarch can’t take me as a disciple, so out of spiteful anger, he plans to use his own disciples to force me into submission?
The more Sha Chen thought about it, the more plausible it seemed; he felt it was almost certainly the case.
I should now focus on diligent cultivation to strengthen my own power. Only with formidable strength can I deal with future crises. Now that both my Primordial Spirit and physical body have reached the Da Luo Great Accomplishment Realm, and my cultivation has been stagnant for years, it’s time for a decisive breakthrough.
Sha Chen continued his cultivation.
As for the three Phoenix sisters, he had arranged a strict cultivation regimen for them. They had to practice diligently; playing and indulgence were prohibited until they reached a certain realm. Longing for play, tasty treats, and to see the Jade Rabbit, the Phoenix sisters trained with remarkable determination.
Within the Flowing Sand River Cave, such was the peaceful state of affairs.
「A year later.」
Sha Chen’s cultivation finally advanced to the high order of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
"Discovery: The host’s cultivation has broken through to the high order of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. You have the following choices."
"Choice one: With your cultivation breakthrough, leave this small place of the Flowing Sand River and lead your followers to contend for supremacy in the Three Realms. Reward: [Sword of Immortality]. The Sword of Immortality is a Magical Tool of the Tongtian Hierarch, the fortuitous object of the Sect of Interpretation. Following the Divine Enthronement War, it was shattered and is now being nurtured at Fenbao Cliff."
"Choice two: Although your cultivation has broken through, there are still many powerful opponents. Continue your training and receive the reward: [Yuanfeng True Secret]. The Yuanfeng True Secret: During the Dragon Han’s Initial Calamity period, the Phoenix ancestor Yuanfeng, through great willpower and talent, comprehended this Cultivation Technique suitable for Phoenixes and other avian beings, allowing cultivation of the [Undying True Fire]."
When Sha Chen saw these two choices, he was both shocked and delighted. The rewards this time were truly lavish.
He had been worrying about the three Phoenixes’ cultivation, and unexpectedly, he obtained the Yuanfeng True Secret. This Divine Power wasn’t just for the Phoenix sisters; all avian beings could practice it. It would be an important means for him to win over a group of avian spirit beasts; for instance, he could win over Fairy Yunyao. But of course, his own people would have priority.
And Sha Chen, as the recipient of the system reward, could naturally cultivate it as well. Should he succeed, his Wings of Wind and Thunder would become even more powerful, and his flying speed would increase further.
Moreover, the most important thing was that he would also be able to cultivate the Undying True Fire. By then, he wouldn’t dare claim true immortality, but its healing properties would definitely be very strong. He would no longer need to worry about injuries from fights taking too long to heal, or his recovery being too slow during combat. Once his training bore fruit, it would invariably provide an overwhelming advantage.
Consider this: everyone else fights by trading injuries for injuries, but Sha Chen, with the Undying True Fire, could recover rapidly while his opponent was still consuming medicine and recovering very slowly. The subsequent fighting would then become very interesting.
Without hesitation, Sha Chen chose to continue his secluded cultivation and also received the Yuanfeng True Secret, which he could now practice.
Eh? What was the reward for going out again? Never mind, it doesn’t matter; I’m not going out anyway, he thought. A mere Sword of Immortality thinks it can lure me out?
Sha Chen paid it no mind. Although he very much wanted the Sword of Immortality, if the price was leaving the Flowing Sand River, then it was out of the question.
Subsequently, Sha Chen began to cultivate the Yuanfeng True Secret but found that this Divine Power was far more profound than he had imagined. It wasn’t that it was difficult to cultivate, but that its power was immense.
Just by grasping the basics, he could feel his Wings of Wind and Thunder growing stronger, now enveloped in flames. It could now be considered the Wind Fire Thunder God Wings; once unfurled, they could cover the sky and obscure the sun. Spreading his wings, he could soar straight up ninety thousand miles.
He continued cultivating. After another year, being the host made it relatively easy for him, and he had mastered the fundamentals. Deploying the Wind Fire Thunder God Wings, he found his speed was even faster than when he activated Qingyun Zong. If he used both in combination, Sha Chen couldn’t imagine any Daluo Golden Immortal being able to catch him. Perhaps even an ordinary Quasi-Saint wouldn’t be able to keep up!
This Divine Power was simply essential for escaping. Sha Chen liked it very much and was determined to practice it more, until it was perfect, reaching a state of sublime mastery.
However, at this time, the Phoenix sisters had also concluded a phase of their cultivation. Their strength had reached the peak of the Golden Immortal realm, and they were preparing to break through to the Greater Primordial Golden Immortal realm. They were only a few years old yet already possessed such strength, making Sha Chen quite envious. Divine species favored by the heavens were indeed beyond comparison with ordinary mortals. As a divine species himself, Sha Chen felt that Ao Lie might as well find a block of tofu and knock himself out.
Surrounded by the three sisters, Sha Chen praised them a few times and then prepared to teach them the Yuanfeng True Secret. This Cultivation Technique was tailor-made for them. Imparting it to them would enable them to develop better and, in the future, become beings like Yuanfeng. Then they could mine even more ores for Sha Chen.
Yet, at this moment, a monk arrived from outside.
"Amitabha. In heaven and on earth, I alone am the Honored One. I am Tathagata, passing by this place. Gracious host, may I come in?"
Tathagata!?
HISS. Sha Chen sucked in a cold breath, his scalp tingling. He hurriedly hid the three Phoenix sisters, telling them to take refuge beneath the phoenix trees, while the various large Spiritual Roots around them intertwined to provide cover. He grabbed the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup and the Sky Covering Umbrella. These two heaven-obscuring Magical Tools radiated divine light, enveloping him and also concealing the three Phoenix sisters.
Even so, Sha Chen was still not at ease. He manifested his Three Heads and Six Arms, grasping the Sky Shaking Bow in one hand and the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow in the other. His feet were on the misty clouds of Qingyun Zong, and behind him, the Wind Fire Thunder God Wings covered the sky; he was already in full battle readiness. The Dragon Binding Rope was coiled around his waist, aimed at the spot where Jade Rabbit was cultivating. If anything went wrong, he would immediately pull her out and flee with her.
Danger lurked outside, and Sha Chen didn’t want to leave. Unless absolutely forced, he wouldn’t go.
He just really couldn’t understand why Tathagata would come at this time. According to the information he had received from Chang E, Tathagata had already passed the task of dealing with him from Ananda and Kassapa to the East Incoming Laughing Buddha Ancestor Maitreya Buddha. He was merely an insignificant figure; how could he be worthy of a personal visit from Tathagata!?
