Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 298 - 292: Heavenly Scripture Strengthening, Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation [Request for Subscription and Monthly Tickets]_1
Bi Xiao was so incensed that she wanted to force her way into the Flowing Sand River.
Yunyao immediately agreed.
However, the clone Chen Sha strongly opposed.
"No, absolutely not. Have you forgotten what I said? We cannot let others think that our Sect of Interpretation is bullying others with power by ganging up on them."
Bi Xiao huffed, "If I attack alone, it won’t be considered ganging up on them."
Chen Sha said, "But it would still be considered bullying others with power, the strong picking on the weak."
Bi Xiao said angrily, "This won’t work, and that won’t work. That guy is acting as if he’s deaf. If he doesn’t come out, do we just have to turn back and go home?"
Actually, I do want them to turn back and go home, the clone Chen Sha thought, but he dared not say so.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Why don’t we find a place nearby to enjoy the sights and amuse ourselves? When he’s free, we can come back and find him. How about that?"
Bi Xiao huffed, "Impossible. We’ve been enjoying the sights for over twenty years. If we continue any longer... I won’t be able to maintain my focus."
That would be for the best, the clone Chen Sha thought.
Still, he coughed and said, "Third Martial Aunt, think about it carefully. Enjoying the sights is still quite beneficial; it can temper and improve one’s state of mind."
"Didn’t you say you won’t be able to maintain your focus? But if you can restrain yourself, wouldn’t that be tempering your state of mind?"
Bi Xiao was stunned for a moment, finding his argument surprisingly sensible.
Yunxiao patted the clone Chen Sha on the back and said, "Martial Nephew, don’t talk nonsense. We’re here on a mission. Let’s complete it before anything else."
Chen Sha said, "Actually, Teacher gave *me* this mission. The three Martial Aunts are merely accompanying me. Don’t worry about it; just let me complete the mission."
The Golden Spirit Holy Mother had sent the clone Chen Sha to win over Sha Chen. If that failed, they were to resort to force, eliminate him, and seize his cave dwelling and its good fortune. This would also prevent a talent from falling into the hands of Buddhism. The San Xiao were accompanying him to supervise and also to ensure his safety.
Yunyao suddenly asked, "Junior Brother, why do I always feel like you’re protecting that Sha Chen at every turn? What’s so good about him that warrants your protection?"
With an unchanged expression, Chen Sha replied, "I admire his character. If possible, I would even like to become sworn brothers with him."
Yunyao retorted, "Then why don’t you admire my character? Why aren’t you nicer to me, always arguing and picking on me?"
Chen Sha said, "Senior Sister, it’s a pity you’re a woman. Otherwise, I would definitely swear an oath of brotherhood with you."
Yunyao stamped her foot in anger, cursing, "Who wants to become sworn siblings with you, you fool!"
The San Xiao gave Chen Sha a deep look, while Chen Sha merely shook his head slightly, appearing rather regretful.
In truth, how could he not know that Fairy Yunyao had developed feelings for him? Perhaps she herself wasn’t entirely clear about it, but Chen Sha knew she had fallen in love with him! However, he was not a casual person; moreover, women were all fickle creatures.
Yunxiao glanced at Chen Sha and said, "Martial Nephew, what you said makes sense. This is your mission. We will all listen to you."
Chen Sha was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly said, "On the way here, I saw a Huanghua Temple. Let’s rest there for now and amuse ourselves for a while. If we watch from the outside, I don’t believe Sha Chen won’t eventually come out."
The San Xiao exchanged glances, all feeling that this was a reasonable plan.
Afterward, the group went to Huanghua Temple, claimed it as their own, cleaned it up, and it became their temporary lodging.
「Within the Flowing Sand River.」
Sha Chen heaved a sigh of relief.
I’m safe for now, but with them waiting outside and not leaving, this is problematic. If it were just secluded cultivation, I’d have no issues, but what should I do if someone comes to deliver things?
His cultivation resources were now almost depleted; he had at most a few months’ worth left. After that, he would have to resort to austere cultivation. He also knew that the Black Bear Spirit or Ao Lie would likely be returning soon. If they returned and he opened the entrance, and the San Xiao seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, what then?
Sha Chen hesitated for a long time, ultimately unable to devise a good solution.
Forget it. First, I’ll claim my reward and set up defenses in the Flowing Sand River. If they launch a strong attack, at least I’ll have some protection.
Sha Chen claimed the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. After studying it closely for a moment, he grasped its fundamental principles. This was the advantage of a system reward—comprehension came as if with divine assistance, allowing one to easily grasp the basics. If it were something acquired externally, comprehension would depend entirely on one’s aptitude. For instance, despite his great wisdom, Sha Chen had only mastered the barest rudiments of his current Three Pure Ones Taoism; it didn’t even count as an elementary understanding.
After grasping the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, Sha Chen had initially intended to immediately arrange the defenses in the Flowing Sand River Cave. However, on a whim, he focused on his Primordial Spirit instead. He used his Primordial Spirit to have the Wordless Heavenly Scripture deduce and manifest the formation.
The Wordless Heavenly Scripture immediately manifested the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, which indeed appeared to be the most perfect version currently available. This left Sha Chen a bit disappointed. However, after a moment, he discovered more content followed in the Wordless Heavenly Scripture, and the diagram for the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation had become even more complex. Furthermore, the name "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation" itself had changed, becoming "Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation."
The content was complex, its description as magnificent as the Bull Demon King’s sister riding the clouds—it was unbelievably awesome. Sha Chen felt mentally fatigued, but his Primordial Spirit had greatly strengthened, so this manifestation did not cause him to faint.
When everything was fully manifested on the Wordless Heavenly Scripture, Sha Chen was thrilled to find that this Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation was truly an enhanced version of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. Its complexity alone was doubled; he dared not even imagine its true power.
Sha Chen hastily began cultivating it. In three days, he grasped the rudiments; within half a month, he reached an elementary understanding. This demonstrated just how formidable the formation truly was. Even with Sha Chen’s current, not inconsiderable, aptitude for comprehension and the aid of numerous auxiliary items for enlightenment, it still took him half a month to gain an elementary understanding. It was only because he possessed the Tai Chi Diagram, enlightenment tea, the phoenix tree, and the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup that he managed this. If he were to rely solely on his own comprehension, it would take at least three thousand years to grasp the rudiments, followed by ten thousand years to achieve an elementary understanding.
After reaching this elementary level, Sha Chen began the Array Arrangement. Since he had only an elementary mastery, it took Sha Chen an entire month to completely lay out the entire Formation.
At the same time, all of his resources were exhausted. Keep in mind that during this month-plus, he had barely cultivated at all, dedicating all his time to the Array Arrangement. The resources, which would have sufficed for two or three months of his cultivation, were completely exhausted by the time he finished the Array Arrangement! This caused Sha Chen a pang of heartache, but he had no other choice.
After finishing the Array Arrangement, he gradually understood just how incredibly formidable this Formation was. It was truly too strong, so powerful that even Sha Chen found it terrifying. Regardless, he felt that the master of this formation could use it to turn the tables in battle, achieving victory against stronger foes with lesser strength. With his strength controlling it, anyone below the Quasi-Saint realm who stepped into the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation would find it difficult to escape easily. Even an ordinary Quasi-Saint who entered it would be severely battered, even if they eventually managed to escape.
The Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation was so domineering, and moreover, it could trap many people at once. It was most suitable for dealing with formations of heavenly soldiers and generals—however many entered, that many would perish. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
However, while it excelled at trapping enemies, its defensive capabilities were lacking. Those who stepped into the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation would find it hard to escape, but the formation couldn’t stop attacks from the outside. Fortunately, it did offer some defensive power; even powerful experts would not find it easy to breach and destroy the formation from the outside. This formation could convert a portion of external attacks into its own power, thereby strengthening itself. To overcome it, one either had to bypass it entirely or break the formation from within.
Sha Chen had designated most of the commonly used areas within the Flowing Sand River Cave as ’Life Gates,’ while the less frequented areas, those he and the three Phoenix sisters seldom visited, were configured as other types of gates. At the same time, he designated several large and seemingly inviting palaces as ’Death Gates,’ marking them clearly and warning the Jade Rabbit, the three Phoenix sisters, and the others. They were forbidden to enter these Death Gates, and he had also specifically reinforced their defenses. After all, unless they attacked the defenses he had set up, they wouldn’t enter. And if someone did attack, breached the defenses, and stepped inside, they would discover... it was a Death Gate.
Too many powerful individuals exist, and many are defiantly skeptical. They’ll surely be curious about my heavy defenses, Sha Chen mused, a grim satisfaction washing over him. Whether they harbor ulterior motives or are simply greedy, once they step inside, their lives and deaths will be in my hands. Even a mighty Quasi-Saint entering it would struggle immensely to escape and would end up in a sorry state.
Having sorted these matters, Sha Chen planned to resume cultivation but then discovered that his resources were gone.
He was deeply frustrated. Without cultivation resources, I can only rely on drinking Flat Peach wine and Osmanthus wine, and consuming Willow Fairy Pills to sustain myself.
Actually, each of these items Sha Chen consumed was a celestial treasure beyond the reach of ordinary people, any one of which could save a common cultivator millennia of arduous cultivation. Yet, he was not satisfied. This was because the resources he normally consumed for cultivation were hundreds, even thousands of times greater than what he had now.
Despite these ’impoverished’ conditions, Sha Chen continued his cultivation for another half-month.
「That day.」
He was jolted from his meditative state, nearly suffering a cultivation deviation. Sha Chen was immensely irritated. But then he felt the Flowing Sand River Cave shake violently; mountains crumbled, rivers fractured, and the innate Spiritual Roots within trembled and hummed ominously.
The three Phoenix sisters were also startled awake. They circled above Sha Chen’s head in a panic.
Sha Chen extended his hand and summoned the Sky Covering Umbrella, sheltering them beneath it. His entire being was on high alert, his aura sharp and solemn. His Divine Consciousness had already swept out.
「Outside.」
The San Xiao could wait no longer, and the clone Chen Sha could not stall them further. They began their forceful assault on the Flowing Sand River.
The one who had just attacked was Bi Xiao, the youngest of the San Xiao sisters. After Yunyao’s fierce assault on the Flowing Sand River failed to cause even the slightest ripple, Bi Xiao had brazenly struck.
Bi Xiao’s attack was earth-shattering. Her single palm strike made the Flowing Sand River Cave shudder, and its internal landscape quake violently.
Sha Chen’s scalp tingled. This was his first direct conflict with a Quasi-Saint, and the first time a Quasi-Saint had forcefully attacked the Flowing Sand River. The destructive power was no less than when Yang Jian had attacked the Flowing Sand River using the Seal of Fanning the Sky.
Moreover, this was merely a casual strike from Bi Xiao. Her two even more powerful sisters were still beside her, watching like tigers eyeing their prey!
