Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 265 - 259: White Bone Great Saint Attacks Flowing Sand River [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
It was the White Bone Saint who had arrived. He had taken over the Three Corpse Cave of the White Bone Demon, bringing with him a host of disciples and followers.
Within the Flowing Sand River Cave, Sha Chen had already seen this through the Wanli Soul Chasing Mirror and had also used the Six Ears of All Heavens to hear the White Bone Saint’s words. He knew that the White Bone Saint actually wanted to attack the Flowing Sand River.
Sha Chen’s expression became grave, for he had already sensed the White Bone Saint’s presence. Although it was well hidden, he perceived the surging strength within it. It was definitely a Peak Daluo Jinxian, with power perhaps on par with Manjushri and Samantabhadra. Furthermore, this was still mere surveillance from afar; the actual strength remained unknown. But it was certain that the White Bone Saint’s strength was at the very least that of a Peak Daluo Jinxian; stepping into the Quasi-Saint realm was also not impossible.
Sha Chen’s face was solemn. Trouble has really come. To think I’ve provoked this fellow. Back then, I killed his chief disciple, the White Bone Dragon King, and then instigated the White Bone Demon to steal from his treasure vault. I didn’t expect him to come knocking on my door. Now he has even made the White Bone Demon call out at the gate. He must have found out and taken control of her.
Sha Chen furrowed his brow, his gaze profound.
The White Bone Demon outside had called again, but there was no response whatsoever. She breathed a sigh of relief, then turned and left, returning to the Three Corpse Cave.
The White Bone Demon hesitated, not daring to enter. Utterly terrified, she finally knelt at the doorway. Shivering, she said, "Master, your disciple Bai Jingjing seeks an audience."
A murderous aura emanated from the Three Corpse Cave, followed by a black mist that spread out like claws and snatched the White Bone Demon inside.
The White Bone Demon screamed in terror, pleading for mercy, "Master, Master, give your disciple another chance! Just one more chance! I will definitely lure Master—no, Sha Chen—out!"
The black mist dissipated, and she fell at the base of the throne. She hastily knelt, kowtowing three times with nine bows to Daoist Faceless, the White Bone Saint.
"Master, Master, your disciple knows her mistakes! Please give me a chance to atone for my sins!" she pleaded.
Her face was pale with fright, and she was so terrified that she dared not raise her head to look at Daoist Faceless, the White Bone Saint.
The White Bone Saint looked down at her, his voice devoid of gender, like an ancient sound echoing from the distant past. "No one has ever dared to betray me. You have betrayed me; you deserve to die a thousand deaths."
The White Bone Demon hurriedly kowtowed again, frantically pleading, "Master, your disciple knows her mistakes! I want to atone for my sins!"
The White Bone Saint said, "You have two choices. One: deceive the gate of the Flowing Sand River open. You will die, but you can be reincarnated. Two: fail to deceive the gate open, and you will be annihilated in body and spirit." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Either way, she would die. The White Bone Demon was terrified to the core, but she did not beg for mercy. She knew that once the White Bone Saint had made a decision, it would not be changed.
Yet the White Bone Demon also knew that Sha Chen must have grown suspicious; otherwise, he wouldn’t have completely ignored her pleas. Deceiving the Flowing Sand River gate open was impossible now. But she couldn’t possibly say such a thing. Instead, she had to tell the White Bone Saint that she could definitely open the gate. She just didn’t know how long she could keep up the deception, or how much longer she could live.
The White Bone Demon lamented in her heart, Sha Chen, oh, Sha Chen, you’ve really doomed me this time! Stealing from the treasure vault has cost me my life!
The White Bone Saint looked down at her, as if he could see into her heart, and said, "Back then, you even made my relationship with Guanyin public. That in itself is a capital offense. Do you really think you can deceive the Flowing Sand River gate open and survive this time?"
He thought her terrified silence stemmed from a desire to live, so he pointed this out to make it clear she had absolutely no chance of survival.
The White Bone Demon knelt on the ground, kowtowing. "Master, your disciple doesn’t dare to cling to life. I merely wish to aid you before I die, to redeem myself. But I’ve used all my efforts, tried every method, and spoken countless pleasantries, yet Sha Chen still refuses to open the Flowing Sand River gate."
The White Bone Saint reached out and grabbed the White Bone Demon by the neck, choking her. She struggled in terror. The horsetail whisk in his hand moved like tentacles, slithering over the White Bone Demon’s body as if to suck her flesh and blood dry.
Struggling to breathe, the White Bone Demon gasped, "Master, Master, your disciple is powerless, but Master, you can achieve it!"
The White Bone Saint released his grip. "What plan do you have?"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The White Bone Demon, desperate to live, quickly kowtowed and pleaded, "Master, Sha Chen ordered me to steal from your treasure vault. Since I returned empty-handed, it naturally aroused his suspicion. Moreover, Sha Chen is inherently greedy. Even if he doesn’t suspect my intentions, he would consider me useless for returning without any treasures, hence his refusal to open the gate."
After considering this, the White Bone Saint found it quite reasonable. He said in his ancient tone, "Indeed, I have heard of that river deity’s nature. Truly greedy, and terribly afraid of death. In that case, I will give you items from the treasure vault. Take them to him, and he will naturally believe you."
The White Bone Demon quickly said, "No, Master! Just one-third of what I took before will suffice. Any more, and he’ll become suspicious."
The White Bone Saint’s gaze flickered, but he agreed. With a wave of his hand, a dozen or so Qiankun Bags appeared on the ground.
These were the items the White Bone Demon had taken when she raided the treasure vault, only to be caught red-handed by the White Bone Saint. There were actually more, but since the White Bone Demon said she needed only one-third, he gave only that amount. The White Bone Saint had questioned her earlier to test her. Seeing she wasn’t greedy, he reckoned she wouldn’t dare try any tricks in his presence. Besides, if he successfully invaded the Flowing Sand River, even if the entire treasure vault was emptied, it would all end up his. If the invasion failed, these items, even in the White Bone Demon’s possession, would still return to him; they were merely being held temporarily by her.
The White Bone Demon picked up the dozen or so Qiankun Bags, then said, "Master, I’ve just seen him. If I go again now, I’m afraid it will arouse his suspicion."
The White Bone Saint said, "Seal the Three Corpse Cave. Go see him again in half a year."
The gates of the Three Corpse Cave closed tightly, and it sank back into the Myriad Year Marsh, its whereabouts unknown.
Inside the Flowing Sand River, Sha Chen’s expression was grave, a hint of worry in his eyes. In fact, when the White Bone Demon was there earlier, he had secretly communicated with her, telling her not to reveal it. The White Bone Demon was shrewd enough not to make a sound about it, not even daring to mention it to the White Bone Saint. Sha Chen had transmitted the Qingyun Zong Divine Power to her, so she could learn it and seize any chance to escape. The White Bone Demon gave no outward response but completely accepted the imparted Divine Power. Her suggestion not to return to the Flowing Sand River immediately was made to buy herself time to cultivate Qingyun Zong. Although half a year was tight, it was better than no time at all.
Sha Chen spent the next half-year in cultivation, but his progress was terribly slow because he had completely run out of resources. The Elixirs and Immortal Herbs in his garden matured sporadically, barely providing him with occasional resource replenishment. But it was like trying to douse a burning cartload of logs with a cup of water. Having grown accustomed to devouring resources voraciously and absorbing vast amounts of Divine Power to strengthen himself, only getting an occasional morsel now made Sha Chen quite miserable. Therefore, during this period, he shifted his focus to comprehending the Three Pure Ones Dao Techniques and cultivating his other Divine Powers. He also allocated time to cultivating his physical body, his Mana, and his Primordial Spirit. During this period, Sha Chen constantly felt that time was insufficient.
「Time ticked away, second by second. Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.」
Sha Chen was engrossed in his cultivation, unable to extricate himself.
Then, the White Bone Demon came again, calling urgently at the gate from outside. "Master, let me in! I was discovered stealing from my master’s treasure vault, and he’s hunting me down! Please, Master, let me in!" she pleaded.
The White Bone Demon begged repeatedly, but Sha Chen paid her no attention whatsoever.
「Three days later.」
The White Bone Demon was close to despair. Sha Chen ignored her and didn’t communicate with her through any psychic messages, which threw her into a panic. Without Sha Chen coordinating from the inside and providing aid, her death was all but certain.
As for betraying Sha Chen, she didn’t dare. She had a sliver of her soul in Sha Chen’s hands; if she betrayed him, she would be the first to die! Moreover, she knew that no matter what she did for the White Bone Saint, death was inevitable; helping him only offered a chance at reincarnation. The White Bone Demon simply didn’t believe her master (the White Bone Saint) would be so merciful; it was more likely she would end up utterly destroyed in body and spirit. Even worse, her master might use her as a cultivation cauldron, absorbing and Refining her.
For this reason, the White Bone Demon naturally sided with Sha Chen. In this half-year, she had already achieved initial mastery of Qingyun Zong. If Sha Chen could coordinate with her from the inside and help eliminate the negative karma burdening her, she could then flee without restraint. But Sha Chen didn’t respond at all, leaving her terrified, despairing, helpless, and utterly at a loss.
Just as the White Bone Demon was consumed by fear, Sha Chen’s voice finally transmitted to her, "Have you learned it?"
The White Bone Demon didn’t dare to reply via voice transmission. Her cultivation was insufficient, and she didn’t know if the White Bone Saint might detect it. Instead, she shouted, "Master, let me in! I’ve stolen from my master, the White Bone Saint’s, treasure vault, and he is pursuing me! Please let me in, Master! I will serve you diligently, even making your bed!"
Sha Chen understood; the White Bone Demon had learned Qingyun Zong.
Inside the Three Corpse Cave, Daoist Faceless, the White Bone Saint, watched with a profound gaze that seemed to pierce through layers of mist, as if he saw the Flowing Sand River parting. He vanished from the spot, and the countless white skeletons within the Three Corpse Cave also burrowed into the ground.
The Flowing Sand River parted, its waters surging like jelly, yet it moved with perfect control, like an extension of Sha Chen’s own arm. However, the gates of the Flowing Sand River Cave did not open.
Sha Chen’s voice sounded out, "Bai Jingjing, where is your master?"
"Master!" The White Bone Demon cried, her face paling in shock. "My master has sent people to hunt me! I don’t know where he is, but he’ll probably catch up soon! Please let me in, Master!"
Sha Chen, however, chuckled. "Your master should already be here."
Just then, a pillar of water shot into the sky from within the Flowing Sand River. Atop it stood Daoist Faceless, wielding a horsetail whisk and dressed in a Daoist robe. However, apart from his head, which had flesh and blood, the rest of his body was a towering skeleton.
This Daoist Faceless was none other than the White Bone Saint. Outside the Flowing Sand River, one mushroom-like skeletal demon after another began to emerge from the ground.
The White Bone Saint stretched out his hand, grabbed the White Bone Demon’s head, and then looked down at the Black Tortoise Cave below.
He said indifferently, "I never thought you would have refined the Flowing Sand River into your own Magical Tool and can command it as easily as your own limbs. When did you know I had arrived?"
From within the Flowing Sand River Cave, Sha Chen replied, "I knew the moment you stepped within the Ten Thousand Miles Territory of the Flowing Sand River."
The White Bone Saint nodded. "Will you come out on your own, or must I break my way in?"
