Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 357 - 351 Reward: Ginseng Fruit Tree [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
Chi Jingzi’s expression remained unchanged, as serene as ever.
He said indifferently, "I feel your reasoning makes sense. Is it wrong to support Sha Chen?"
All present responded with smiles yet remained silent.
They all knew why Chi Jingzi spoke on behalf of Sha Chen. It boiled down to the fact that he had learned from Jiang Ziya that Sha Chen was against the Journey to the West, and was vehemently opposed to it. That made him a comrade of theirs. With goals and paths aligned, it was only natural for him to offer support. After all, taking down Sha Chen was much harder than becoming his friend. Even if they didn’t become friends with Sha Chen, they didn’t want to be his enemy, especially given his terrifying rate of growth. Such a person was destined for great things.
Currently, the strength of the twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect had become formidable, but they didn’t feel they could maintain superiority forever. Maybe in a thousand or ten thousand years, Sha Chen could catch up to them.
Jiang Ziya said, "Sha Chen has foreseen something that even I couldn’t fathom. That is, after the Journey to the West, he would end up as a Golden Arhat Bodhisattva, merely a false Bodhisattva in his eyes, which he deems worthless."
Chi Jingzi nodded and said, "Correct, he shows promise indeed."
The others nodded in agreement, with only Immortal Yuding slightly furrowing his brows. He had foreseen that his disciple Yang Jian might be implicated in the calamity of the Journey to the West and could gain much from it. If Sha Chen refused to embark on the Journey to the West, then there would be great uncertainties in the resulting catastrophe. Could his disciple still benefit from it?
Chi Jingzi himself became somewhat uncertain, his expression grave and his eyes flickering.
Guang Chengzi said, "Brother Fei Xiong, Sha Chen’s refusal to join Buddhism simply shows his lack of regard for the titles they offer. If Buddhism were to promise him a true Bodhisattva status, or even a false Buddha, wouldn’t he then be willing?"
Everyone tensed up instantly.
Chi Jingzi’s expression turned stern.
Jiang Ziya countered, "Sha Chen did say that if Buddhism were to promise him the position of Tathagata Buddha, and if he were indeed given supreme authority over Lingjiu Mountain, he would consider joining Buddhism. Otherwise, he wouldn’t."
The crowd’s expressions grew intrigued.
Chi Jingzi burst out laughing and said, "This kid has quite the gall, eyeing the throne of the Buddha himself."
"Hahaha, how amusing, I can’t resist meeting him now. Given the chance, I must meet him in person."
Guang Chengzi smiled too, interpreting Sha Chen’s statement as a refusal to be swayed by Buddhism’s recruitment. As a result, the Journey to the West, coordinated by Buddhism, now faced uncertainties and might even be unable to proceed.
However, Sha Chen’s reluctance to join did not ensure his wish would be granted, for Buddhism would not agree. A demoted general with boundless potential and burdened with heavy sins was a top recruitment priority for Buddhism. They all understood that at first, Sha Chen was insignificant. But the Sha Chen of today, with both strength and talent, had likely become a key focus of Buddhism’s recruitment efforts. Buddhism’s stance and desire for Sha Chen might even surpass that for Sun Wukong. Even if anyone else could be sacrificed, it’s unlikely they would give up on Sha Chen. He might want to reject Buddhism, but to do so, he would need the power to resist them.
Not only did Guang Chengzi consider this, but so did the others, and their expressions gradually grew solemn.
Jiang Ziya did not wish to deal with these matters and stood up, saying, "Dear brothers, please continue at your leisure, I shall return to my cultivation."
Then he stood up and left.
Guang Chengzi suddenly asked, "Brother Fei Xiong, have you made some gains? Although I see no significant change in your cultivation, your spiritual realm seems to have transcended and entered sainthood."
Only then did everyone take notice; Jiang Ziya did seem different, and his Spiritual Realm seemed particularly advanced.
Jiang Ziya nodded slightly and said, "Brother, you are correct, my cultivation has not changed. However, due to a fortunate coincidence, my Primordial Spirit made a breakthrough, and has now reached the Quasi-Saint Realm."
The crowd was stunned, their eyes filled with awe. Jiang Ziya’s Spiritual Realm was so advanced, it no longer ranked below theirs. Was he planning to take the path where the Primordial Spirit surpasses the divine?
CLAP! CLAP!
Guang Chengzi clapped his hands to refocus everyone’s attention, then smiled and said, "Brothers, the lord of the Flowing Sand River, Sha Chen, is a rare talent indeed. Since he has refused to join Buddhism, he obviously does not agree with their philosophy. And our Chan Sect is the best sect in the world. Why not, let’s convert him!"
Upon hearing this, everyone felt joy and nodded unanimously, also showing contemplative expressions. If they could bring Sha Chen into the Chan Sect, whether as a disciple or as a fellow brother, it would strengthen their influence within the sect. The Chan Sect was not monolithic; its immortals were self-centered, vying for power just as much as those on Lingjiu Mountain. For the sake of what they called influence, they fought fiercely. Swayed by Sha Chen’s talent and power, joining them would surely elevate their standing in the eyes of Lord Yuan Shi and the entire Chan Sect. Many had begun to entertain this idea.
And so, they dispersed. Their attitudes and thoughts had changed; they no longer wished to oppose Sha Chen, nor did they want to kill him. Such a capable person was worth recruiting if possible.
「Before long.」
The Matchmaker of the Matchmaker Temple received the news, and his face showed a colorful expression. Originally, he had been consistently working against Sha Chen. But now he was told that Sha Chen had no plans to join Buddhism, and that all his martial brothers had unanimously decided to recruit Sha Chen. This had put him in a terrible bind. Because he had offended Sha Chen beyond reconciliation. If Sha Chen joined the Chan Sect, he would certainly find every possible way to deal with him.
This made Matchmaker’s complexion rather unsightly, and at the same time, his gaze became intense and gradually turned icy cold. He absolutely could not allow Sha Chen to join the Chan Sect, because he had already offended Sha Chen beyond reconciliation. If Sha Chen were to join the Chan Sect, with Sha Chen’s abilities, he would surely surpass him quickly. At that point, Sha Chen would give him hell.
Matchmaker didn’t even consider the possibility that Sha Chen, joining the Chan Sect, would become a third-generation disciple. He would undoubtedly be on par with him, at the very least a second-generation disciple. By then, Sha Chen’s status would not be below his, and his power would surpass Matchmaker’s. His future would be boundless, and Matchmaker was sure to be outdone.
Matchmaker gnashed his teeth, his eyes flickering.
Since they don’t want Sha Chen to join Buddhism, then, I will let him join. If I can’t get rid of Sha Chen, it’s better for him to join Buddhism than to join the Chan Sect.
Matchmaker murmured in secret, a brilliant light flashing in his eyes.
「Flowing Sand River.」
Sha Chen had no idea that the Chan Sect had undergone many earth-shattering changes for him. After sending Jiang Ziya away, he instructed Chang E and the Spider Spirit to continue their cultivation without wasting time. He had already explained the Dao he needed to. Now, their breakthroughs depended on their own abilities. What Sha Chen could do was to provide them with some Enlightenment Tea, which would help them comprehend the Dao Techniques. And naturally, Sha Chen was consolidating his own cultivation as well.
But before he had time to consolidate his cultivation, a voice sounded from outside.
"Sha Chen, my young friend, I have arrived. Open the gate of the Flowing Sand River."
Hearing the voice, a shiver went down Sha Chen’s spine. It was none other than that vindictive old fellow, Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad.
Sha Chen frowned, his Divine Consciousness sweeping out. As expected, Lord Lao Zi stood outside the entrance to his abode, the waters of the Flowing Sand River naturally held at bay, three zhang from his body. Lord Lao Zi stood with his hands behind his back, bursting with vitality, his expression placid. He looked like an enlightened master paying a visit, waiting for the host to open the door and welcome him warmly.
Sha Chen was troubled upon seeing this.
Truth be told, he did not want to see Lord Lao Zi because the elder held grudges.
Next, he felt that Lord Lao Zi coming at this time definitely sensed his breakthrough in cultivation and either wanted to take him as a disciple or something else.
In any case, it wasn’t a good thing.
If he refused, a beating was definitely in store for him.
It could even be possible to endure a few months of beating.
Even if Lord Lao Zi left behind a Tai Chi Diagram after that, it would be of little use to Sha Chen now.
Truth be told, Lord Lao Zi’s usefulness to Sha Chen was diminishing, but he could still cause Sha Chen considerable trouble.
Previously, with Sha Chen alone it wasn’t too much of an issue, but now he had Chang E and the Spider Spirit within his abode.
Who knew what Lord Lao Zi was capable of doing.
If he used this as a threat, Sha Chen truly might cry without tears.
He had long heard that Lord Lao Zi was ruthless and merciless towards demons. Chang E might be fine, but the Spider Spirit definitely would not end well.
Sha Chen hesitated.
Lord Lao Zi yelled from outside again, "Sha Chen, don’t play dumb. You definitely heard my voice. Open the doors of your abode promptly, or I will come in personally and teach you a lesson."
His initially polite tone turned sour when Sha Chen delayed opening the door, and Lord Lao Zi grew irritated. He directly threatened Sha Chen. After all, he had treated Sha Chen this way before. Now, doing so again, he felt it was perfectly normal.
But Sha Chen detected a different implication.
"Detected that the host is being asked by the Grand Destiny Carrier Lord Lao Zi to open the doors of his abode. You have the following choices."
"Choice one: Open the doors of your abode and invite Lord Lao Zi in, reward: [Eight Diagrams]. Eight Diagrams: An Innate Spirit Treasure, a powerful Magical Tool, a chart that, once unfolded, can cover the sky and trap people, making it difficult to escape."
"Choice two: Refuse to open the doors of your abode and insist that Lord Lao Zi leave, reward: [Ginseng Fruit Tree]. Ginseng Fruit Tree: An Innate Spirit Root, the tree bears ginseng fruits which, when eaten, can prolong life, increase cultivation and talent, and change one’s potential."
Hiss. Ginseng Fruit Tree?
When Sha Chen saw this option, his eyes widened in shock. It wasn’t that he found the Ginseng Fruit Tree exceedingly rare. Rather, he was incredulous that the choice activated by Lord Lao Zi included an option related to Zhenyuanzi. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
Knowing the system’s temperament, Sha Chen realized it always activated items related to the individual. Yet, the Ginseng Fruit Tree had such a strong causal link with Zhenyuanzi; it was unlikely to be triggered by Lord Lao Zi.
But now, appearing as an option, it was certainly out of the ordinary.
With a grave expression on his face, Sha Chen unleashed the Six Ears of All Heavens Divine Power at its utmost, and his Illusion-Breaking Divine Eye scanned all around. He pushed his Divine Powers to their limits, trying to discern any differences.
Yet, he found nothing. There wasn’t even the slightest disturbance nearby.
But Sha Chen grew even more uneasy, for he trusted the system implicitly.
Lord Lao Zi must have some connection with Zhenyuanzi, or perhaps... the elder outside was not Lord Lao Zi, but... Zhenyuanzi!? Hiss.
