Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 365 - 359 Zhenyuanzi Arrives in Person【Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1
Sha Chen glanced at Qing Feng and Mingyue, a cold smile touched the corners of his mouth.
Qing Feng and Mingyue hurriedly said, "Don’t be in such a rush to leave, River Lord. Everything is open to discussion. Why don’t you consider it a bit more?"
"Even if you don’t want the ginseng fruit or the invitation, and you’re not willing to discuss the Way. But you should at least consider the implications."
Qing Feng said, "After all, our master is the renowned Saint Zhenyuanzi. If you reject him like this, how will he save face? How will he face the other immortals and Buddhas?"
Mingyue also nodded and said, "Yes, why don’t you think it over? Look, even if you refuse to go to Wuzhuang Temple to discuss the Way or accept the invitation, at least take the ginseng fruit. This is a token of our master’s sincerity."
Sha Chen said, "I’ve already told you, I accept no rewards I haven’t earned."
Qing Feng and Mingyue’s eyes darted about. As long as Sha Chen didn’t return immediately, they considered it a partial victory.
After all, their mission was simply to stall for time, to give Saint Zhenyuanzi enough time to arrive.
Once Saint Zhenyuanzi arrived, the gates of the Flowing Sand River Cave would never close again, and Sha Chen’s life and death would be in their hands. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Qing Feng said, "We don’t need any reward. This is merely a gesture of goodwill. It’s our master’s way of showing respect for your character and his sincere desire to befriend you. It requires no merit on your part."
Sha Chen glanced at the ginseng fruit with disdain, feeling no desire for it whatsoever.
His own ginseng fruit were larger and more effective. And with an entire tree of them, why would he care about a single, ordinary ginseng fruit? As for the intentions of Qing Feng and Mingyue, Sha Chen saw through them at a glance; he also possessed the ability to discern people’s true intentions. He knew they were trying to stall for time.
With a cold laugh, he said, "Very well, you may leave. I will not be taking the ginseng fruit."
Then he turned, entered the cave, and moved to close the door.
Qing Feng and Mingyue panicked. They rushed forward, intent on preventing the door from closing.
They cried out urgently, "No, you can’t go back! You’re not allowed to!"
But just as they spoke, they saw Sha Chen turn his head, his face a mask of ferocity.
Sha Chen’s expression was cold and savage, his eyes glinting with cruelty. "Have I been too lenient with you?"
Then, he struck out with his palm, sending Qing Feng and Mingyue flying.
PUFF.
The two were sent flying out of the Flowing Sand River. The ginseng fruit tumbled to the ground, sank into the earth, and vanished without a trace.
The invitation and the calling card also landed on the ground.
Qing Feng and Mingyue crashed onto a distant mountaintop, tumbling through several large mountains before finally coming to a stop.
They spat out mouthfuls of blood, a mixture of shock and rage filling them, terrified half to death.
When they hastily tried to get up, the movement aggravated their injuries, causing them to grimace in pain.
Mingyue roared in fury, "That damned Sha Chen! How audacious! He actually dared to injure us!"
Qing Feng, however, said, "That’s a secondary concern! The ginseng fruit! Where is the ginseng fruit? Quick, find it!"
Enduring their painful injuries, they hurriedly searched for the ginseng fruit.
But they couldn’t find it anywhere. Panic and shock washed over them as they realized what must have happened.
Qing Feng said, "It’s over! The ginseng fruit must have fallen to the ground and sunk into the earth, disappearing completely."
Mingyue was also in a panic but tried to remain firm. "Senior Brother, don’t worry. Sha Chen caused this; the blame lies with him. We just need to report the truth to Master."
Qing Feng gritted his teeth. "We failed to complete Master’s task and lost such a precious ginseng fruit. Master will not forgive us."
Hearing this, Mingyue also felt a surge of panic and fear.
As they paced about in frantic distress, a stream of light descended, enveloping them. Their injuries began to heal.
The two were filled with a mixture of joy and terror.
They hurriedly knelt on the ground. "We greet Master!"
Saint Zhenyuanzi had arrived.
This time, he appeared openly, arrayed in formal Daoist robes and holding a horsetail whisk.
He glanced at his two disciples, his brow furrowed. "It seems you have failed."
Mingyue quickly said, "Master, please be informed! Sha Chen is exceedingly arrogant and insolent. He refused Master’s invitation and calling card, and he was utterly dismissive of the ginseng fruit."
Qing Feng added, "We exercised forbearance repeatedly and extended numerous invitations, but he was exceedingly rude to us and showed utter disrespect for Master. We followed Master’s orders and deliberately tried to stall him, but he saw through our attempts and returned immediately. When we tried to prevent him from closing the gate, he repelled us."
He knelt, kowtowing and weeping bitterly. "Master, you must seek justice for us! Sha Chen’s arrogance and ignorance caused the ginseng fruit to disappear!"
Saint Zhenyuanzi nodded. "Rise. The ginseng fruit sank into the earth and disappeared. Retrieving it is not difficult. The true challenge is convincing Sha Chen to open his gates again."
He then performed a magical art and quickly retrieved the ginseng fruit, stowing it in his sleeve.
Then he said, "You two, accompany me. As your master, I will pay him a personal visit."
Qing Feng and Mingyue were suddenly invigorated.
Mingyue exclaimed, "Master, you must get justice for us! Sha Chen is outrageously arrogant and holds you in no regard whatsoever! He must be taught a lesson!"
Qing Feng also nodded but said nothing.
Saint Zhenyuanzi said, "Enough. I have my own judgment. Say no more and just follow."
Then, clouds materialized beneath his feet, lifting all three of them into the air.
They quickly arrived above the Flowing Sand River.
The waters of the Flowing Sand River parted automatically, revealing the Black Tortoise Cave.
Auspicious clouds descended, suffusing the area with a seven-colored rosy light that spread over the riverbed silt like a carpet. Zhenyuanzi and his two companions landed upon this luminous radiance.
The numerous Mountain Gods and Earth Gods from the vicinity of the Flowing Sand River also materialized, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Who would have thought Saint Zhenyuanzi himself would come here? Is he looking for that Sha Chen of the Flowing Sand River?"
"Sha Chen must be quite someone to have Saint Zhenyuanzi pay a personal visit!"
"I’m so envious! With Saint Zhenyuanzi backing him, Sha Chen can go anywhere under Heaven. Even the Jade Emperor might issue a decree pardoning him."
"Actually, the Jade Emperor pardoned Sha Chen long ago; it’s Sha Chen who refuses to leave. The Jade Emperor even offered him a promotion, but he declined."
"What do you all think is the real reason for Saint Zhenyuanzi’s visit this time?"
The various Mountain Gods and Earth Gods buzzed with discussion, all intensely curious about Zhenyuanzi’s arrival.
Normally, they confined their activities to areas more than a hundred miles from the banks of the Flowing Sand River, always proceeding with caution, never daring to pry into the river’s affairs.
After all, their Mana was meager, while Sha Chen’s power was immense.
Countless formidable individuals had met their end in the Flowing Sand River. They considered themselves fortunate that Sha Chen hadn’t brought disaster upon them; otherwise, they likely wouldn’t have survived.
Compared to the Mountain Gods and Earth Gods in the territories of other yaoguai lairs, they considered themselves quite fortunate.
Many Mountain Gods and Earth Gods were enslaved by yaoguai.
Yet, here, under Sha Chen, they could live in peace.
Today, with Zhenyuanzi’s arrival, they all emerged. Zhenyuanzi was the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals, and they had come to pay homage to their patriarch.
Indeed, quite a few Mountain Gods and Earth Gods were, in fact, disciples from Zhenyuanzi’s lineage, albeit obscure ones.
Zhenyuanzi proceeded directly to the entrance of the Black Tortoise Cave.
This was his first time directly facing the Flowing Sand River Cave. Previously, he had hidden within Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad’s sleeve and had even used the Heavenly Earth Mirror to conceal his presence.
All this was to avoid detection by Sha Chen.
And when he had transformed into Tianpeng, he had also sealed most of his true strength, fearing that any anomaly would be discovered.
Consequently, he had been unable to discern the true defensive strength of Sha Chen’s Flowing Sand River Cave.
Now, perceiving it with his true form and full cultivation, he finally realized that this cave was indeed a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land of the highest order in the mortal world.
Even a single glance gave him the distinct impression that it was impenetrable. With his level of cultivation, although he didn’t specialize in offensive power, his vast Divine Powers were capable of destroying most things in existence. He could even directly shatter an Innate Spirit Treasure with his Mana. Yet, even with such overwhelmingly potent Mana and Divine Powers, he sensed that he could not blast this place open, could not breach the multiple layers of defense around Sha Chen’s cave. Thus, he had decided against a direct assault upon arrival, opting instead for courtesy before resorting to arms.
He took a deep breath, his demeanor transforming into that of a transcendent immortal, exuding an ethereal, otherworldly aura.
Throughout countless eons, he had weathered innumerable storms and encountered countless heaven-defying prodigies. This was the first time he had encountered someone as monstrously talented as Sha Chen, but his surprise ended there. What he desired, he was determined to obtain. He had lived for untold ages and had pursued that Ginseng Fruit Tree for tens of thousands of years. For it to have flown to Sha Chen’s side now meant he absolutely had to retrieve it. Moreover, Sha Chen’s ability to increase his cultivation so rapidly surely indicated he possessed other extraordinary treasures. Even someone like him, accustomed to rarities, felt his heart stir with desire. After all, he was devoted to cultivation, utterly obsessed with the path to Sainthood. For eons, he had tried every conceivable method to become a Saint, yet all had failed. Naturally, he was desperate to find any means that might lead to Sainthood. Sha Chen had so many treasures here; perhaps among them lay a clue, a method to break through to the realm of a Saint. As long as there was even a sliver of a chance, Zhenyuanzi would not relinquish it. He was capable of sacrificing many things for the sake of becoming a Saint—even, in the future, his dignity by becoming sworn brothers with a junior like Sun Wukong. Through that connection, he aimed to board the ship of the Westward Journey Calamity, forge ties with Buddhism, and share in the karmic fortune of the great calamity. The current situation, by comparison, was a trivial matter.
Zhenyuanzi took another deep breath, then said with a faint smile, "This old man is Zhenyuanzi, currently passing by the Flowing Sand River. I wonder if River Lord Sha Chen is within? Might you open your gates and share a cup of wine with this humble one?"
Sha Chen had already retreated into his cave. He had completed the system’s task and obtained the Sweet Dew Jade Liquid.
Zhenyuanzi appearing less than an eye-blink after his return had indeed given him a lingering sense of dread. However, he had thankfully sealed the main gate shut. After checking it repeatedly, he confirmed there were no vulnerabilities. Not even a fly could get in. He was perfectly safe inside.
The Spider Demons and Chang E, however, were somewhat panicked and anxious. They didn’t know if Sha Chen’s cave was sturdy enough to withstand the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals, a figure renowned throughout the Three Realms.
If Zhenyuanzi were to force his way in, what would they do?
Chang E was in a slightly better position. She was an immortal, after all. Though her presence in Sha Chen’s cave was somewhat improper, at least she was considered to be on the side of righteousness and held a divine rank. Zhenyuanzi was unlikely to cause her trouble.
The Spider Demons, however, faced a graver situation, as they were yaoguai.
Saint Zhenyuanzi, lauded as the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals and an elder to countless deities, would surely not hesitate to eliminate any yaoguai he encountered, would he?
