Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 360 - 354: Breakthrough of the Primordial Spirit【Seeking Subscription】_1
An old monster, so intent on gain, so adept at calculation and scheming, was nonetheless pondering how to outwit Sha Chen and put his mind at ease.
At this moment, Sha Chen’s face was solemn, his eyes somewhat gloomy. His mind raced like lightning, trying to find a solution, but in the end, he had none. This was because he didn’t know what Zhenyuanzi was up to, nor whether Zhenyuanzi’s aim was the Ginseng Fruit Tree, him personally, or perhaps both.
In any case, he could only respond to all changes by remaining unchanged.
Even Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad couldn’t enter, so he did not believe Zhenyuanzi could.
As long as he did not let anyone in, he wouldn’t care even if Zhenyuanzi killed everyone outside.
With this thought, Sha Chen became much more composed.
He then began to concentrate on refining the Ginseng Fruit. His cultivation level saw no change—the fruit wasn’t meant for increasing cultivation. However, Sha Chen’s Primordial Spirit became incomparably strong. Originally at the Initial Quasi-Sage Level, it had been somewhat unstable. After eating the Ginseng Fruits, his Primordial Spirit quickly stabilized, then grew robustly, and afterward rapidly expanded. Sha Chen’s Primordial Spirit power had increased by at least ten percent. This ten percent might seem insignificant, but in reality, the increase was astronomical and terrifying.
Ordinarily, Sha Chen would use various items like the Taiqing Colored Glaze Cup and peaches to enhance his Primordial Spirit cultivation. To increase a Quasi-Saint-grade Primordial Spirit by ten percent would take at least ten years of dedicated cultivation. Now, eating a Ginseng Fruit provided benefits equivalent to various divine items, consuming peaches, drinking Enlightenment Tea, and ten years of dedicated cultivation. This was tremendous progress.
If an ordinary Quasi-Saint entered the Quasi-Saint Realm and wanted to increase their Primordial Spirit by ten percent without the support of various divine items and resources, self-cultivation would take at least one hundred thousand years. At this level of cultivation, even a minor improvement requires a great deal of time. The improvement of the Spiritual Realm is the most difficult.
Now, with his Spiritual Realm improved, Sha Chen did not hesitate to take another Ginseng Fruit and eat it. This time, after eating the Ginseng Fruit, Sha Chen’s Primordial Spirit was enhanced once more, receiving an even greater boost. After consuming seven or eight of them, Sha Chen felt that continuing to eat Ginseng Fruits no longer significantly aided his Primordial Spirit. However, it was still useful, just not as much anymore. By now, his Spiritual Realm had increased by several levels, and he was only half a step away from advancing to the Intermediate Quasi-Saint Stage. This was the Primordial Spirit. For a person who had just entered the Quasi-Saint stage, reaching his current level would take at least a million years.
People with resources could significantly shorten this time. Sha Chen was one of those with resources, reducing the time to merely a few days. His Primordial Spirit had broken through not long ago, but he had promoted it again with the help of the Ginseng Fruit. Terrifying indeed.
Sha Chen felt that after his Primordial Spirit had grown stronger, his control over various Great Divine Powers and Magical Tools had become even more adept. With his current Primordial Spirit casting spells, he would be several times faster than he was just after the breakthrough, and his power would be more concentrated and formidable. This is the advantage of a strong Primordial Spirit.
Sha Chen stopped eating Ginseng Fruits because the effects were no longer particularly evident. He could only continue eating them if his immunity to their effects weakened after another cultivation breakthrough. At that point, eating more would further enhance his Primordial Spirit.
This time, aside from making his Primordial Spirit stronger, the Ginseng Fruits also activated more of Sha Chen’s potential. His talent had grown stronger, and much of his potential had been tapped. If Sha Chen’s previous talent and potential were a river, now his talent had become an ocean. Sha Chen’s talent had already been comparable to Sun Wukong’s, and now, his talent had completely surpassed Sun Wukong’s, and by a considerable amount. He had completely left behind Sun Wukong and Yang Jian, the foremost geniuses of the Divine Enthronement and the Journey to the West. With such talent, Sha Chen could look down upon his peers; with this talent alone, he could go even further.
After all, the current Initial Quasi-Sage Level was definitely not his end point; with sufficient opportunities, reaching the Quasi-Sage Peak was possible.
Now that his talent was enhanced, Sha Chen quickly put it to the test. He started to refine and consume a great amount of resources. In fact, he hadn’t cultivated much after his breakthrough, and this was truly a proper cultivation session following it. Moreover, his talent was strengthened and potential unlocked. Consequently, Sha Chen’s cultivation speed could be described as miraculously fast, more than ten times faster than when he was at the Pinnacle Daluo level. With such gifted talent, matchless in heaven and earth, it was astonishing and terrifying.
Sha Chen looked at the resources piled high in front of him, which would normally take him a month to refine, but now he had refined them all within three days. His eyes brightened, brimming with delight and surprise.
This is fantastic! Who would have thought my talent could be so strong? I’m afraid that in all the heavens, those with talent and potential to match mine can now be counted on one’s fingers.
Beyond his joy and surprise, Sha Chen was a bit troubled. Now that my cultivation speed has greatly increased, the remaining resources will probably be consumed very quickly. What previously would have lasted ten years may now only suffice for one. Besides, now that I’ve advanced to the Quasi-Saint Realm, the resources needed for my current cultivation, as well as for my physical body and Primordial Spirit, have increased manifold. If this continues, my current accumulation will completely fall short. Then, I’ll have no choice but to endure hardship.
Sha Chen patted his forehead, extremely vexed.
He had thought himself blessed with abundant harvests, endowed with copious resources brought by the Spider Spirits and Fairy Chang E. He believed he wouldn’t have to worry about resources for the next eight to ten years. Unexpectedly, he had hardly used any, and yet he was already concerned. The problem was that as his cultivation speed and level had increased, so too did his consumption of resources, which had become astronomical. In the past, refining a stalk of First-class Immortal Elixir would have taken him several months. Now, he could do it in a day, with plenty to spare. After all, with increased strength came greater talent and a rapid boost in cultivation speed, naturally leading to a higher demand for resources.
Sha Chen was somewhat distressed.
Why hasn’t anyone else returned yet? If they don’t come back soon, there won’t be enough resources. Without access to new sources, I can only cut back.
Sha Chen looked toward the Eight-Treasure Water Tower, where the Spider Spirits and Chang E resided. If his cultivation resources ran low, he would have no choice but to send them out early to earn their keep. There was no other option; if they didn’t earn money to support the household, the household wouldn’t welcome them.
Unbeknownst to Chang E and the Spider Spirits, Sha Chen was already fed up with them for staying at the Flowing Sand River and wasting food.
However, Sha Chen had a reputation to consider; after all, he had just extorted many resources from them, and it would sound terrible to chase them away so soon.
He wouldn’t do such a thing. At least, not for now.
At least, there wouldn’t be a shortage of cultivation resources for another year or two, and many of the resources they had brought back were already planted in the ground. There were almost two thousand stalks of First-class Immortal Elixir, and the number of Second Grade Immortal Elixirs had more than doubled. With so many resources gradually maturing, leaving behind seeds and rhizomes, the rest could be directly refined. This should tide me over for another two or three years.
By then, they would mature in succession, but without further supplementing resources, it still wouldn’t be enough. Besides the time it took for their growth, Sha Chen’s own advancement in cultivation level and the boost in his strength would inevitably speed up his cultivation. Accordingly, his consumption of resources would also increase. The resources he now consumed in a single day would have sufficed for decades of his past cultivation.
This was the difference, and also why Sha Chen was intent on nurturing followers. If the followers were too weak to gather more resources, his own cultivation would stall. To better cultivate and to acquire more resources, Sha Chen had to enhance the strength of his tools—his followers. What irked him, though, was that some of these tools had been absent for a long time. The thought made Sha Chen quite discontent, prompting him to take a sliver of each of their souls and torment it slightly. The point was to remind them it was time to return. They should come home often. He didn’t expect them to wash dishes for him, only to bring back resources.
After another month of cultivation, Sha Chen’s level had solidified further and continued to progress rapidly.
In that month, ripples of breakthroughs in cultivation emanated occasionally from within the Eight-Treasure Water Tower. It was the Spider Spirits breaking through. It had to be Eldest Sister, Erniang, and San Niang who had achieved their breakthroughs. The others, stimulated, strived to increase their pace of improvement, but their potential and talent had limits. Advancement in cultivation wasn’t something that could be achieved simply by holding one’s breath and wishing for a breakthrough.
Another month went by, and the rest had still not made their breakthroughs.
Then, they began to lose heart.
Sha Chen hesitated for a moment before picking up four Ginseng Fruits and entering the Eight-Treasure Water Tower.
At the very top of the Eight-Treasure Water Tower, divine water pooled, brimming with divine power. The Spider Spirits were all cultivating. With no outsiders around and their fondness for bathing, to avoid the inconvenience of not being able to bathe during cultivation, they simply stripped naked and soaked in the pool. Fairy Chang E was also in the pool, another who cherished cleanliness. At that moment, eight women were soaking in the pool. They weren’t made into specimens; on the contrary, they appeared even more divine and beautiful.
But to Sha Chen, they were mere painted skeletons. He didn’t spare a second glance at their beautiful forms. Instead, he clapped his hands, waking them all.
The Spider Spirits and Fairy Chang E were a mix of surprise and delight upon seeing Sha Chen, but after noticing his stern expression, they dared not utter frivolous words. They all bowed their heads. Only Eldest Sister, Erniang, and San Niang, the three who had made their breakthroughs, stood proudly, rising to welcome Sha Chen.
Sha Chen said, "Alright, all of you, sit down. What sort of decorum is this?"
Seventh Mother asked, "Big Brother, have you come to reprimand us because we have yet to make our breakthroughs?"
Sha Chen replied, "I wouldn’t exactly reprimand you, since failing to break through is your own affair."
At his words, everyone felt a sting in their hearts; they had indeed disappointed Sha Chen. Fairy Chang E, too, lowered her head in shame.
Seeing them like this, Sha Chen said, "I have here four Ginseng Fruits. I’ll give each of you half a fruit to enhance your Primordial Spirit and talent. If you still fail to break through, don’t blame me for issuing a direct expulsion order."
The Spider Spirits and Fairy Chang E were both stunned and then overjoyed.
"Big Brother, how did you come by Ginseng Fruits?" one asked.
"GASP! Big Brother, did you go out? Did you go to the Wuzhuang Temple? We once thought of going there to steal Ginseng Fruits for you, Big Brother, but we didn’t dare in the end," another added.
