Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 267 - 261: Guanyin Bares a Skeletal Figure【Request for Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1
The face of the White Bone Saint gained facial features. That face became somewhat ferocious and, shockingly, bore a nine-tenths resemblance to the Guanyin Bodhisattva, known for her great compassion and universal salvation.
Why nine-tenths, you ask?
Because the benevolent Goddess of Mercy is feminine by nature, with a dignified and elegant appearance, and also the delicate beauty of a woman.
However, this White Bone Saint before them was clearly male.
Sha Chen could tell at a glance that this person had a masculine form, with disheveled hair and eyes that were cold and merciless.
Within the depths of those eyes flickered a ghostly fire, plunging any who looked into them into an abyss.
The White Bone Saint said, "What’s wrong, are you dumbfounded? Do you not recognize this face?"
Across the Flowing Sand River Cave, the White Bone Saint seemed to know just how stunned Sha Chen was at that moment.
He wore a strange smile as he said, "Are you wondering? Are you puzzled why I bear such a resemblance to that person!?"
Sha Chen furrowed his brows, manifesting a towering phantom projection that blotted out the sky.
But the White Bone Saint did not retreat. Seeing this projection, he even nodded and said, "Your Dharma Form projection is almost indistinguishable from reality; it seems you have cultivated the Thirty-six Variations of the Heavenly Gang to perfection."
Sha Chen said, "Senior, I am indeed curious. Why do you so closely resemble the Guanyin Bodhisattva from the legends, famed for her great compassion?"
He used the word ’closely’ because he did not sense Guanyin’s aura from the White Bone Saint.
This meant that this was, indeed, the White Bone Saint.
The White Bone Demon, upon seeing Sha Chen’s projection, grew somewhat excited, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes.
The White Bone Saint spoke, "It’s simple. People believe that the compassionate Goddess of Mercy was inherently so, but do you really think that’s possible?"
"She herself has slain countless beings. During the Apocalypse Epoch, she killed indiscriminately, a single palm strike capable of annihilating tens of thousands. Do you truly believe she is all compassionate and merciful?"
Sha Chen offered no comment; any powerful expert has forged their path through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Even though he lay low here, avoiding the entanglements of the mortal world, he had still slain countless creatures.
And he did not feel this was anything shameful.
Because if he did not kill others, then others would kill him.
The outside world operated on the principle of respecting the strong: survival of the fittest.
Sha Chen was no exception. He, too, adhered to the principle of avoiding conflict if possible, but if not, he would kill to stop killing.
During the Divine Enthronement period, the one who would become Guanyin was known as Taoist Ci Hang, the ninth direct disciple of Lord Yuan Shi, with limitless prospects.
However, after Divine Enthronement, she followed Saints Jieyin and Zhunti and joined Buddhism.
During the Divine Enthronement period, Taoist Ci Hang, then a female adept, had also killed countless beings without mercy.
After becoming a Bodhisattva, she purportedly hasn’t killed any living beings since, yet the blood on her hands is undeniable.
Not long ago, she even attempted to kill Sha Chen’s incarnation, Daoist Hanshan.
The White Bone Saint said, "I am the evil incarnation of the Goddess of Mercy. Her sinful karma was extracted from her body by a Saint, and thus I came into being."
He let out a wild laugh, saying, "Isn’t it laughable? We were originally the same person; she is good, while I am evil."
Sha Chen remained silent, merely frowning.
The White Bone Saint continued, "She has now stepped into the Quasi-Saint Realm. Do you know why she has kept me alive?"
"She wants me to reach the Quasi-Saint Realm as well. Then, when she kills me, she will become more perfect, more powerful. HEH HEH HEH, tell me, isn’t she clever?"
Sha Chen, frowning, said, "If that is the case, you should stand up and resist her."
The White Bone Saint burst into hearty laughter. "Are you teaching me what to do?"
"Are you trying to turn me against her, wanting to watch us fight, so you can reap the fisherman’s benefits?"
Sha Chen coughed. Am I that obvious?
The White Bone Saint sneered, "Why should I do that? She is she, and I am I. Moreover, if I truly ascend to the Quasi-Saint Realm, it’s not yet certain who will kill whom."
"Furthermore, even if I die, I will exist in another form within her. In that case, would she still be her purely ’good’ self?"
Sha Chen felt a throbbing headache; the White Bone Saint’s revelations were, for him, matters of a distant future.
He frowned and said, "What are you trying to tell me with all this?"
The White Bone Saint again pulled the White Bone Demon before him, positioning her between himself and Sha Chen.
He sneered again, "I am telling you that I have many ways to deal with you, be they fair or foul."
"Bai Jingjing, as my disciple, has betrayed me. Yet she seems to have learned quite a few good things from you. If I kill her, absorb, and refine her, I might uncover traces of the cultivation methods she learned."
Sha Chen spoke, his face emotionless, "I already control her soul. If I wish it, she can die at any moment, and her memories will be erased. You will gain nothing."
Simultaneously, he nocked an arrow and drew his bow, aiming at the White Bone Saint.
He continued, "And you will die here, or at least be severely injured. You’ll never have the chance to reach the Quasi-Saint Realm."
The White Bone Saint sneered, "Are you threatening me?"
Sha Chen said, "You could say that. If you don’t believe me, you can try and see what you can get from her."
The White Bone Saint frowned. Sha Chen’s words filled him with doubt and uncertainty.
Just then, from within the Flowing Sand River, a silver ring suddenly flew out—the Undefined Flying Ring—smashing directly towards the White Bone Demon.
Sha Chen cursed, "You’re too slow! If you can’t bear to kill her, I’ll do it for you!"
The White Bone Demon’s face turned pale with terror, and she closed her eyes in despair.
The White Bone Saint’s complexion changed slightly; he hadn’t expected Sha Chen to actually be just as ruthless, someone who would disregard others’ lives for his own benefit.
He himself was such a person, and so was Sha Chen. Therefore, he believed Sha Chen was absolutely capable of anything.
Killing her to silence her would be all too easy for him.
The White Bone Saint, shocked and enraged, knew he couldn’t allow Sha Chen to kill the White Bone Demon, or he would lose a channel to Sha Chen’s secrets.
He quickly pulled the White Bone Demon away, tossed her aside, and said, "Did you see that? Your master wants to kill you, yet you still serve him?"
"I’ve implanted a Divine Power within you that will temporarily protect you, preventing Sha Chen from directly erasing your soul."
Then, he intended to let the White Bone Demon leave first.
However, at that moment, the gates of the Flowing Sand River Cave flung open.
A light burst forth from within, encircling the White Bone Demon, while the Undefined Flying Ring was already settling onto her head.
The White Bone Saint’s face shifted slightly. I’ve been tricked, he thought.
That was the Divine Power, ’Drawing Ground into Prison,’ capable of trapping a person, rendering them unable to advance or retreat.
Sha Chen intends to imprison the White Bone Demon and then slay her!
Just as the White Bone Saint was about to attempt a rescue, he saw Sha Chen at the entrance of the Flowing Sand River, aiming the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow straight at him.
Simultaneously, Sha Chen bellowed, "White Bone Saint, taste my arrow!"
The White Bone Saint was utterly shocked. He saw Sha Chen release his grip, and a streak of light flew towards him with unparalleled momentum.
He hastily dodged, but found the "arrow" somewhat weak. Reaching out to swat it away, he felt a stinging pain in his palm.
The light then revealed its true form: it wasn’t the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow, but a sword—the Giant Que Sword.
His expression changed; he immediately sensed something was amiss.
Looking back, the Giant Que Sword had landed at the White Bone Demon’s feet, whisking her out of the ’Drawing Ground into Prison’ and then plummeting towards the Flowing Sand River.
The White Bone Saint, filled with shock and rage, exclaimed, "Sha Chen, you deceived me! You never intended to kill her from the start; you wanted to rescue her!"
Raising his hand, he was about to strike down the White Bone Demon.
But it was too late. The Dragon Binding Rope flew from Sha Chen’s waist, ensnaring the White Bone Demon and yanking her into the cave.
Sha Chen, now with three heads and six arms, the Wind Fire Thunder God Wings on his back, invoked the Law of Heaven and Earth, towering a hundred zhang tall at the entrance.
Each of his hands grasped a Magical Tool, notably the Sky Shaking Bow and the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow.
Without hesitation, he drew the bow, aimed directly at the White Bone Saint, and loosed an arrow. This time, it was real.
WHOOSH.
The White Bone Saint was struck instantly; at such close range, he had no chance to evade.
If Sha Chen’s cultivation base had been vastly inferior to his, he might have had a slim chance to dodge at this distance.
However, Sha Chen’s physical body had reached the Great Accomplishment stage of the Da Luo Dharmakaya, allowing him to draw the Sky Shaking Bow to its fullest with speed and ease.
He also used his powerful Primordial Spirit to lock onto the White Bone Saint. In the midst of this chaotic fray, the White Bone Saint, provoked to a rage and intent on forcefully attacking the Flowing Sand River, naturally fell into the trap.
The White Bone Saint was struck directly in the chest. A gaping hole was torn open, nearly blasting away half his torso, leaving only a sliver of flesh connecting his upper and lower body.
It was evident that this half of his body was ruined.
The baleful aura on the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow, thick with endless destructive energy, surged into the White Bone Saint, threatening to consume him.
Sha Chen extended his hand, and his Qiankun Bag opened wide, poised to swallow the White Bone Saint.
Terrified, the White Bone Saint exerted all his strength to flee backward, only to discover that the Qiankun Bag and Mustard Seed Pouch hanging from his own waist had both been snatched away by Sha Chen’s Qiankun Bag.
He was filled with shock and fury but dared not look back, even accelerating his pace to escape far into the distance.
In that moment, he was filled with immense regret and fear.
At the same time, he also worried that Sha Chen would shoot another arrow; if one more came, he would undoubtedly die.
He doubted he could fully withstand even the effects of this single arrow.
His flight was driven purely by the fear of death.
He had inflicted death upon countless individuals, savoring the terror in their dying moments, a sensation that had fueled his power.
But now, experiencing it firsthand, he knew its utter despair and dreadfulness.
Sha Chen did not shoot the final arrow. He was confident the White Bone Saint would not live long.
Moreover, that final arrow was his trump card; once his own power increased, it could even slay a Quasi-Saint.
How could he waste it on a mere White Bone Saint?
He checked his surroundings, ensuring no one could threaten him or try to sneak into the Flowing Sand River, before returning to his cave abode.
The Flowing Sand River churned with tumultuous waves, smashing all the White Bone Saint’s disciples and followers from the Three Corpse Cave into bone fragments.
Inside the Flowing Sand River, Sha Chen, holding the Qiankun Bag, was overwhelmed with excitement.
It contained all the White Bone Saint’s accumulated wealth, more than enough to replenish his depleted resources.
Although one Shooting Sun Divine Arrow was now gone, the sheer volume of resources made up for it.
The White Bone Saint had fled.
He fled desperately, instinctively running for his life towards the south. Guanyin was on Luo Jia Mountain of the Southern Sea there.
That was her original form; by merging with her, he could survive.
Guanyin on Luo Jia Mountain was already aware of the White Bone Saint’s plight. Knowing he was on the verge of perishing, she had no time for anger or shock.
She immediately set out to intercept the White Bone Saint.
She had to reach him. If the White Bone Saint perished en route, rather than by her hand to be absorbed by her, her years of meticulous planning would come to naught.
「Meanwhile.」
Above the Southern Sea, the White Bone Saint, fleeing for his life towards Luo Jia Mountain, suddenly encountered roaring seas and raging winds.
He was engulfed as two dragons soared out from the depths of the Southern Sea, their bloodred maws snapping at his head and neck.
The White Bone Saint, filled with shock and rage, recognized the true dragons.
"It’s you! Ao Lie of the West Sea and the Dragon Girl of the East Sea! How dare you ambush me!? Such audacity!"
"Aren’t you afraid of bringing annihilation upon your entire Dragon Clan!?"
