Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 359 - 353: Zhenyuanzi, the Number One Opportunist in the Three Realms [Seeking Subscriptions] _1
Zhenyuanzi’s expression changed. The king of the ginseng fruit trees he had searched for tens of thousands of years had actually come to the Flowing Sand River and seemed to have entered Sha Chen’s cave dwelling. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. Subsequently, when he looked at the Flowing Sand River, his eyes were filled with fervor.
「Inside the cave dwelling.」
Sha Chen was carefully counting the ginseng fruits and found there were eighty-one, each the size of a small child. Moreover, the ginseng fruits looked incredibly lifelike, as if they were actual children planted on the tree. Such ginseng fruits were far beyond the one at the Wuzhuang Temple. The fragrance they emitted was also soul-stirring, making Sha Chen feel somewhat rejuvenated with just a single whiff.
Immediately, Sha Chen picked one. He knew that ginseng fruits would disappear when they met soil, fall when they met metal, and grow when they met wood. Using the Giant Que Sword, Sha Chen cut off a short section of the branch above the ginseng fruit and caught it with a cloth. He had only picked one this time, intending to try out its taste and effect.
Just by looking at the child-sized ginseng fruit, Sha Chen felt infinitely benefited, as if his life had been extended. He had already consumed countless peaches of immortality and had experienced numerous breakthroughs in cultivation, which had greatly enhanced his lifespan; it was now not so easy to increase it further.
But now, just by smelling it and looking at it, he felt his lifespan might increase; if he ate it, wouldn’t that be defying the heavens? Most importantly, the ginseng fruit could change one’s potential and activate latent abilities.
Sha Chen remembered that Sun Wukong and the others seemed to have undergone many changes after their visit to the Wuzhuang Temple. It was as if they had become more formidable; they were dealing with infamously powerful demons, but none of them, without special Magical Tools, were a match for Sun Wukong in a fair fight. It was because they had eaten the ginseng fruits, and their potentials had been activated. Sun Wukong and his fellow disciples even ate two each, making their potential even more boundless.
But Sha Chen estimated that even if they ate ten or eight, it wouldn’t compare to a single one from his tree. After all, his was the king of trees, and its ginseng fruits were quite large with deeper colors, likely containing more divine power. Eating one would be worth ten or eight from the Wuzhuang Temple.
Sha Chen glanced at the fruit and ate the ginseng fruit in his hand. The taste was similar to an apple, and the texture wasn’t much different from that of strawberries; it didn’t seem particularly special after he ingested it.
Just as Sha Chen thought he had eaten an expired ginseng fruit, he suddenly felt revitalized, his spirit invigorated. He quickly sat down cross-legged, circulating his Cultivation Technique, and employing Dao Techniques such as the Spirit Summoning Decree to strengthen his Primordial Spirit.
His Primordial Spirit was growing robustly, his spirit becoming even stronger. The Primordial Spirit could make the casting of Divine Powers and spells more efficient, more ingenious, and more powerful. Mana could make Divine Powers and spells stronger and provide the mana support needed for their use.
If one were to distinguish the differences between the Primordial Spirit, mana, and the physical body, it could be said that the physical body is like armor and magic resistance, mana is like the mana bar, and the Primordial Spirit affects proficiency and the cooldowns of Divine Powers and spells.
Sha Chen’s mana was already very powerful, having reached the Quasi-Saint Realm. As for his physical body, there was no need to mention it; it was comparable to a Primeval Chaos Law Body of a Quasi-Saint and had been growing stronger recently. His vitality was already immense, and the mana was overflowing from his body. His spirit and Primordial Spirit had also reached the Quasi-Saint Realm not long ago, improving in tandem.
But that was all. His Primordial Spirit had always been difficult to cultivate, and not just for him; for anyone, enhancing the Primordial Spirit was quite challenging. It was only the exceptional cases like Jiang Ziya, who didn’t cultivate their mana but focused on their Primordial Spirit, that were different.
With artifacts like the Taiyi Liuli Cup and the Mystic Artifact of The Nine Orifices, coupled with the help of the wutong tree, Tai Chi Diagram, and the tea of Dao comprehension, Sha Chen’s Primordial Spirit could grow so quickly; otherwise, it would be impossible to catch up with the advancements in mana and physical body. The Primordial Spirit could also affect the progress of mana because if the Primordial Spirit is not strong enough, the understanding of the Dao is affected, and naturally, the cultivation level cannot improve. Sha Chen would take every opportunity to cultivate his Primordial Spirit and strengthen his spiritual power, though the effects were minimal.
Or, compared to others, it was already very outstanding; after all, to have ascended from a True Immortal Primordial Spirit to a Quasi-Saint Primordial Spirit in just over two hundred years is something others wouldn’t dare to dream of. It was also thanks to the blessing of divine items such as the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup that Sha Chen had reached where he was today.
But humans are never satisfied, and neither was Sha Chen. He felt that after the advancement of his cultivation, the Primordial Spirit became difficult to improve. As he stepped into the Quasi-Saint Realm, divine items like the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup, as well as the peaches, could barely enhance his Primordial Spirit anymore. It was only the newly acquired Mystic Artifact of The Nine Orifices and the tea of Dao comprehension that had some effect, but he felt it was not enough.
Now, the ginseng fruit was actually strengthening his Primordial Spirit, visibly enhancing it and piling up spiritual power. Sha Chen drew in a sharp breath, a mix of shock and joy overwhelming him. Feeling his Primordial Spirit flourishing, Sha Chen’s heart yearned even more, and it seemed even his comprehension of various Divine Powers enhanced in that very moment. His Six Ears of All Heavens and Illusion-Breaking Divine Eye also seemed to reach deeper levels of mastery then.
"Hmm?"
Sha Chen suddenly furrowed his brow; his Primordial Spirit was still growing, but he was now looking towards the west. Outside the Flowing Sand River, within a large mountain, a figure gazed in this direction. Through his Illusion-Breaking Divine Eye, he could see the vague outline of the person. Although he couldn’t discern the details, he could clearly hear the person’s heartbeat and breathing.
And the low whisper, "The ginseng fruit tree I’ve been chasing for tens of thousands of years cannot be so easily obtained by this youngster. I must find a way to take it back."
"But, even Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad couldn’t enter the Flowing Sand River, and it would likely be the same for me if I went. Forcing it is probably not an option; I must think of a method."
"It seems he has a good relationship with Tianpeng, and today I had Qing Feng and Mingyue keep Tianpeng at Wuzhuang Temple to rest. I’ve learned some about him; it’s perfect to disguise myself as him to deceive the Flowing Sand River and gain entry."
Afterwards, the person turned and left, presumably planning to flee further before shape-shifting and enacting the full charade.
Sha Chen’s face turned sour. Although he couldn’t see the person’s face, from the voice and the muttering, he already knew who it was. It was definitely Zhenyuanzi from Wuzhuang Temple. Sha Chen hadn’t expected Zhenyuanzi to actually scheme against him.
I should’ve known! Why would the option activated by Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad include a ginseng fruit tree? It truly is related to Zhenyuanzi.
Has he been hiding there the whole time, or did he follow me here? Now he wants to scheme against me, surely because of the ginseng fruit tree.
Sha Chen knitted his brow. Certainly, my ginseng fruit tree isn’t the one from Wuzhuang Temple, but Zhenyuanzi coveting it is still troubling.
He had always been benevolent towards others, yet there always seemed to be those coveting his possessions. Sha Chen, in fact, had a certain awareness of Zhenyuanzi; though their interactions were few, he could discern his character from his actions.
Who exactly is Zhenyuanzi? He was someone who, during the preaching of Taoist Ancestor Hongjun, had the qualifications to sit in one of the six foremost seats, but ultimately didn’t secure one. His seniority is so deep that it is on par with the Saints. The common saying that one will live as long as heaven and earth, and coexist with the sun and moon, speaks of Zhenyuanzi, the patriarch of earthly immortals. From this, one can tell just how ancient he is.
This man has lived for ages, weathering countless storms, with strength acclaimed to be the most formidable below the Sages. Whether he is a Sub-Sage remains unknown, but he is certainly stronger than Yunxiao, the Peak Quasi-Saint. Beyond longevity and profound cultivation, his insight is extraordinary, and his status lofty.
Having lived for countless years, Zhenyuanzi harbors one obsession: attaining sainthood. With his cultivation, age, and status, the only thing that truly attracts him is the position of a Saint. Thus, for years upon years, he has strived towards this goal, making numerous attempts.
However, he has failed, as the Saints always remain the same few; it’s not something just anyone can attain. To achieve sainthood, one needs merit, and Zhenyuanzi fixated on accumulating merit, nurturing countless mighty experts, earning him the title ’Ancestor of Earthly Immortals.’ But those individuals did not gain much fame and couldn’t bring Zhenyuanzi the vast merit needed to become a Saint; his path to sainthood through nurturing talents came to a dead end.
Zhenyuanzi had since disbanded his sect and settled in Wuzhuang Temple, waiting for significant calamities to materialize, to seize an opportune moment to enter the fray, planning to leverage the power of calamities to achieve sainthood.
During the Divine Enthronement cataclysm, he witnessed the great wars of various Sage Schools. Even the Saints could not escape unscathed. He even harbored a fleeting hope that a Saint or two might perish, thus giving him a chance. Unfortunately, the ones who perished were those already fated or schemed to do so.
Subsequently, he waited again for a long time, until the upcoming calamity of the Journey to the West drew close. Zhenyuanzi deduced that the Journey to the West’s calamity was inevitable and also orchestrated by Buddhism, benefiting many. Although not as perilous as the Divine Enthronement cataclysm, the number of beneficiaries from the Journey to the West was so vast it was poised to surpass even that of the former. The number of participants was significant, and many factions were involved.
Amidst such a calamity with minimal danger and abundant gain, how could Zhenyuanzi miss out? He was naturally determined to participate by any means necessary. He sought to become part of the calamity and associate with Sun Wukong, the Grand Destiny Carrier, hoping to share in the spoils.
This is quite understandable, and Sha Chen’s musings were not without basis. Zhenyuanzi, a tremendously powerful and fearsome old monster, had the capability to capture Sun Wukong easily, yet he chose to be sworn brothers with him in the end. It strongly suggested he was ingratiating himself to forcibly share in the karma.
Moreover, considering the rarity of ginseng fruits, Sun Wukong and company had already consumed three. After they toppled the tree, Guanyin cured it, and Zhenyuanzi then gave each of them one more before becoming sworn brothers. Any way one looks at it, it did not resemble magnanimity on Zhenyuanzi’s part.
Such a person definitely had ulterior motives. If he did it to give face to the Two Saints of the Western Sect, it would have been excessively deferential, considering they were his peers. Before the Two Saints of the Western Sect achieved sainthood, their powers were comparable. Zhenyuanzi’s status and position were not much inferior to theirs, only his cultivation was lacking.
Yet, Zhenyuanzi humbled himself to be sworn brothers with Sun Wukong, a being several magnitudes weaker and many times feebler than the Two Saints. Apart from the strong karma surrounding Sun Wukong, Sha Chen couldn’t fathom any other reason.
