Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 299 - 293: Join the Sect of Interpretation, or I’ll Kill You [Seeking Subscription and Monthly Ticket]_1
With a casual palm strike, Bi Xiao shook the Flowing Sand River.
The power was so immense that even Sha Chen felt his scalp tingle.
It was also a profound reminder for Sha Chen of just how terrifying the power of the San Xiao sisters could be.
Despite their low profile, their strengths were clear as day and sky, boasting formidable achievements during the Apocalypse Epoch.
After leaving the mountain, they set up the Nine-Curve Yellow River Array and captured Yang Jian, Nezha, Jinzha, and others.
Later, they trapped all twelve Golden Immortals within the Formation, stripped the three lights from their heads, and eradicated the five qi from their chests, nearly crippling all twelve of them.
Such ferocity was simply heaven-defying.
In the end, it required the personal intervention of the sage Laozi and Lord Yuan Shi, using their Magical Tools, to strike them down.
To think that Saints had to personally act to strike them down gives a glimpse into just how fearsome their strength truly was.
If Bi Xiao and Qiongxiao were already so formidable, then their eldest sister, Yunxiao, was even more terrifying.
Present since the very beginning of heaven and earth, she had long since transcended the Three Realms and was not confined by the Five Elements.
She had severed the three corpses and cast away the five qi.
The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng was the former Deputy Master of the Chan Sect and now the second-in-command at the Buddhist Lingjiu Mountain. He wielded boundless mana and stood at the Quasi-Saint pinnacle. Even he did not dare to offend the three sisters lightly.
This served as proof of just how formidable the San Xiao truly were.
Bi Xiao’s palm strike on the Flowing Sand River caused the water to churn ferociously and the Flowing Sand River Cave to tremble.
Sha Chen’s expression turned ugly as he shielded the phoenix sisters behind him. Jade Rabbit also woke with a start, her breath ragged.
She was both shocked and angry, hiding behind Sha Chen while also holding the three sisters close. Even though she herself was scared, she was determined to protect them.
"Don’t worry, Mother is here. No one will hurt you," she said, trying to comfort them.
"General, I’m so scared! What on earth is happening?" she asked, her voice trembling.
She was almost about to break through; after cultivating for decades and receiving so much support from Sha Chen, she had entered a profound, almost mystical state.
She was only lacking an opportunity to break through.
And yet, it was interrupted again.
Last time by Yang Jian, this time by the San Xiao.
BOOM.
Bi Xiao struck out with another palm. Although the Flowing Sand River Cave remained unbroken, the palace within was shaken to the point of cracking.
It seemed the damage wasn’t as great as that from the Seal of Fanning the Sky previously!
But in reality, it was because Sha Chen had set up a new Formation that absorbed most of the shockwave, integrating it into the Formation itself. Otherwise, the entire interior of the cave would have been reduced to ruins by now.
Bi Xiao struck out several times, causing the Flowing Sand River Cave to quake; however, Sha Chen realized that it had stabilized.
She was at her wits’ end.
Even though the palace inside the Flowing Sand River Cave was cracking and shaking everywhere, the damage wasn’t enough to break the Cave entirely. And it wouldn’t cause more severe destruction. With the current trend, it seemed unlikely that the cave’s main entrance could be breached.
Sha Chen let out a sigh of relief. Seeing that after a dozen or so strikes from Bi Xiao there was no further harm, he had a measure of the situation.
Bai Luan said, "Daddy, why is that woman outside so vicious?"
Qing Luan asked, "Daddy, are they going to kill us?"
Sha Chen reassured, "Don’t worry, they can’t get in."
Jade Rabbit spoke up, "General, aren’t they the Empress San Xiao? They are quite formidable; they’ve been renowned since ancient times."
Sha Chen replied, "It’s them. Don’t worry, it’s just a bit of a misunderstanding, which we can resolve once we talk it out."
Jade Rabbit said, "Then you go talk to them."
Sha Chen rolled his eyes. Just go and talk? As if it were that simple!
「Outside.」
Bi Xiao ceased her assault, her expression somewhat displeased.
She snorted, "Eldest Sister, I can’t believe this Flowing Sand River has something to it. I can’t break through it."
Yunxiao said, "After all, even the joint siege by the immortals of the Heavenly Court and the Buddhas from the West couldn’t break it. It must have its extraordinary aspects."
Bi Xiao said, "Eldest Sister, take out the Primeval Chaos Gold Funnel and let me break it."
But Yunxiao shook her head and responded, "Is it really necessary to use the Primeval Chaos Gold Funnel to break a mere Flowing Sand River?"
Then, she glanced at her second sister, Qiongxiao, who remained calm and showed no intention of acting.
Having no choice, Yunxiao stepped forward, preparing to take action herself.
Chen Sha’s (avatar) expression changed slightly, and he said hurriedly, "Eldest Master Aunt, let me do it! Let me call out."
Yunxiao replied, "It’s been several months. If you could have called him out, you would have done so by now."
She was about to make her move.
Chen Sha quickly interjected, "Eldest Master Aunt, let me try again. I should be able to do it."
Yunxiao glanced at him, then nodded. "Alright. If he doesn’t come out after you call three times, I will attack forcefully."
Chen Sha approached and called out twice. As he was about to call for the third time, Yunxiao was already preparing for a strong attack.
HUM.
At that moment, the Flowing Sand River vibrated, but the cave’s door remained shut.
However, an all-encompassing phantom appeared.
The figure was immense, stretching between heaven and earth, towering and steadfast. When it appeared, celestial flowers rained down, and golden lotuses sprang up from the ground.
It was Sha Chen’s Dharma Body phantom.
This suddenly frightened Fairy Yunyao, whose expression changed. She, who was already rather willful, disregarded others, and hadn’t taken Sha Chen seriously, now quickly shielded Chen Sha behind the San Xiao sisters.
Though she had looked confident and dismissive before, now, having witnessed Sha Chen’s Dharma Body phantom, she knew just how arrogant she had been, and that the rumors were true.
There are no trivial figures under a renowned name; Sha Chen genuinely possessed real skills.
Even just a Dharma Body phantom was enough to reveal the true extent of Sha Chen’s strength because it was so real.
The fact that he could render his Dharma Body phantom so realistically, like a dream yet tangible, proved how formidable Sha Chen’s true combat power was.
The San Xiao glanced at it, their expressions full of disdain.
Even the weakest, Bi Xiao, was at the Intermediate Stage of Quasi-Saint, so naturally, she did not take Sha Chen seriously.
Sha Chen, having materialized his phantom, looked toward the San Xiao and greeted them very politely with clasped hands.
"May I ask if my cultivation here has offended in any way, that the three immortal ladies would attack my abode?"
The eldest sister, Yunxiao, remained expressionless, merely observing Sha Chen from head to toe, seemingly scrutinizing him.
The second sister, Qiongxiao, was haughty, sparing only a glance before ignoring him.
The youngest sister, Bi Xiao, was the most hot-tempered. She had called out several times previously, but Sha Chen had not appeared. Now, after Chen Sha had called just twice, Sha Chen emerged. This was a blow to her pride and greatly annoyed her.
She shouted angrily, "You minor deity, why were you so slow to come out? Do you look down upon me?"
Sha Chen responded, "May I ask, Lady Bi Xiao, you came with such violent momentum, as if to strike me down. How could I have come out?"
Caught off guard and unable to rebut, Bi Xiao huffed, "When I call you, you come out. If I attack you, you stand your ground."
But Sha Chen retorted, "Even ants strive to live, let alone myself, an upright celestial spirit. If I can seek good fortune and avoid disaster in the face of danger, why should I deliberately court death like a moth to a flame?"
Bi Xiao was left speechless, unable to contradict him.
Because their aggressive approach indeed indicated an intent to attack Sha Chen, it was only reasonable that he did not show himself.
Chen Sha’s eyes darted, about to step forward and refute.
But he was stopped by Fairy Yunyao, who whispered, "Junior Brother, don’t go over. This man is capable. I fear you’re not his match."
Chen Sha patted the back of her hand and stepped forward, saying, "We indeed came with an imposing manner. That is just our nature; it does not mean we bear malice."
"If you are not hiding a guilty conscience, why did you avoid seeing us?"
The San Xiao nodded in agreement, clearly on the same page.
Bi Xiao was even more pleased, her favorable impression of her little nephew Chen Sha, who knew how to handle situations, growing.
Sha Chen said, "In that case, it seems I have wronged you all. I apologize for the delay and any offense. Please forgive me."
Inside the Flowing Sand River Cave, the Phoenix sisters and Jade Rabbit were all displeased, tugging at Sha Chen’s hand.
"Daddy, why admit you’re wrong? It’s clearly their fault!"
"General, we are not in the wrong. You don’t need to apologize."
But Sha Chen’s expression remained calm. Had he really admitted any fault? No. He was simply offering both sides a way to de-escalate, to prevent the situation from becoming more rigid; he couldn’t bear the consequences of the San Xiao attacking the Flowing Sand River. Moreover, he was also elevating Chen Sha, giving him status and a voice, trying to create an opportunity.
Seeing Sha Chen persuaded by just a few words from Chen Sha, the San Xiao’s trust and recognition of Chen Sha deepened.
Bi Xiao said, "Nephew, come here. This was originally your matter, so I’ll leave it to you to handle."
Chen Sha smiled and clasped his fists, then stepped forward to face Sha Chen.
Their eyes met, and a strange light flashed between them, unseen by the others.
Only the two of them understood the meaning behind the look in each other’s eyes.
Sha Chen asked, "May I inquire, esteemed friend, what brings you here?"
Chen Sha, the avatar, replied, "I’ve come to ask the river lord’s intentions: are you willing to join our Sect of Interpretation?"
He addressed the issue directly, stating his purpose outright.
However, the San Xiao frowned. According to their original plan, they intended to enter the Flowing Sand River to see what the cave abode was like.
Recruiting Sha Chen should also happen inside, after meeting him properly; it wouldn’t be too late then.
Discussing matters with merely a Dharma Body phantom outside didn’t seem right.
Yunxiao sent a telepathic message, "Nephew, we should go inside to discuss things."
Chen Sha had no intention of bringing up entering the cave; in fact, he was trying everything to lead them away.
Pretending not to have heard, he just stared intently at Sha Chen.
Sha Chen was also direct in his refusal.
"I only wish to cultivate here and have no intention of joining the Sect of Interpretation."
"What!?"
But little did he expect his words to utterly enrage Yunyao and the San Xiao.
Especially Bi Xiao, who exclaimed, "What did you say? Our Sect of Interpretation is inviting you to join, and you dare to refuse!?"
Fairy Yunyao said, "Do you realize what you’re refusing? Us! We are all from the Sect of Interpretation! The Sect of Interpretation! Haven’t you heard of it?"
Sha Chen replied, "I’ve heard of it, and I know about it. But I genuinely don’t want to join because I dislike fighting and killing."
Fairy Yunyao retorted, "Then what’s the difference between you and a salted fish?"
Sha Chen answered, "I like being a salted fish."
Fairy Yunyao trembled with anger. Her almond-shaped eyes bulged as if she wanted to start a fight, but knowing she was no match, she could only stew in her own fury.
She secretly pinched Chen Sha in her irritation.
Bi Xiao could not contain herself, bellowing, "Sha Chen, I’ll give you two choices: one, join our Sect of Interpretation; two, we kill you."
Yunxiao felt a headache coming on. Her third sister’s words were too domineering, much like a ruffian abducting a young woman.
She added, "General for Folding the Curtain, that is the gist of it. We are very sincere. Why don’t you open your cave abode and come out to talk with us? Or, let us in, and we can discuss it slowly. What do you say?"
[The system has detected that the host is being asked by the Grand Destiny Carrier Fairy Yunxiao to open the cave. You have the following choices.]
