Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 380 - 374 Celestial Shen Sha Physique Refining Decision [Subscription and Monthly Ticket Requested]_1
"The host has been tempted by the Saint, Tongtian Hierarch, to become his disciple. You have the following choices."
"Option One: Agree to Tongtian Hierarch, enter his sect, and receive the reward, Sword Array of Immortality. The Sword Array of Immortality is one of the three great ancient nefarious arrays; when deployed with myriad immortals entering it and supported by the four Swords of Immortality, it can counter a Saint."
"Option Two: Refuse Tongtian Hierarch’s temptation, do not enter his sect, and receive the reward, Celestial Shen Sha Physique Refining Decision. The Celestial Shen Sha Physique Refining Decision is a body refinement technique used by the twelve Ancestral Witches. They later derived the Twelve Capital Deity Kill Formation from it, which can also counter a Saint."
HISS.
The rewards are so generous! When Sha Chen saw the rewards for the options, his eyes widened. The Sword Array of Immortality needs no introduction; during the calamity of Divine Enthronement, it shone brilliantly. A Saint deploying this formation could counter three or four other Saints. If a Semi-saint were to set it up, not even a single Saint could break through it. As for the Celestial Shen Sha Physique Refining Decision, that’s even more invaluable. What kind of beings were the twelve Ancestral Witches? They were the overlords of the primordial era. Before the six Saints of that age achieved sainthood, they had to take detours upon encountering the Ancestral Witches. Even after becoming Saints, if they encountered all twelve Ancestral Witches together, they still had to give them a wide berth. Armed with the Celestial Shen Sha Array, the twelve Ancestral Witches could directly confront, and even defeat, Saints. The Celestial Shen Sha Physique Refining Decision was their intrinsic body refining technique, something Sha Chen had always longed for but never attained. But now, it had finally come.
Overjoyed, he immediately made his choice without a second thought and directly refused to become Tongtian Hierarch’s disciple.
In fact, even without this option, he wouldn’t have become Tongtian Hierarch’s disciple. He didn’t believe that following Tongtian Hierarch would give him a chance to become a Saint. If he couldn’t become a Saint, venturing out into the world would be perilous. Now, with the Celestial Shen Sha Physique Refining Decision, he could directly build up his physical body to the level of the twelve Ancestral Witches, perhaps even surpassing them. Of course, it was highly probable, but he still wanted to try.
Tongtian Hierarch looked at Sha Chen, his expression serene. He was completely confident that Sha Chen would agree this time. Previously, when he wanted to take Sha Chen as a disciple, he had only offered to make him an outer sect disciple, then an inner sect disciple, or perhaps a direct disciple. He thought that was the greatest grace. But as Sha Chen grew more formidable, making such a promising prodigy his ordinary direct disciple seemed insufficient to entice him. Especially after Li Er had also attempted to recruit Sha Chen, he felt that being his direct disciple wasn’t much to boast about. But becoming a Saint—that should be attractive enough, right? He didn’t believe anyone in the world didn’t want to become a Saint. As long as someone craved power, craved formidable strength, they would aspire to sainthood. And what he offered was the promise to help Sha Chen become a Saint. Whether it could be achieved, or when, wasn’t important. What mattered was that with his help, Sha Chen’s chances of becoming a Saint would be much greater. Without his assistance, his approval, his aid... Sha Chen, hiding here and working in isolation, would never become a Saint in this lifetime, nor achieve anything significant. Tongtian Hierarch felt that someone as timid as a mouse and as overly cautious as Sha Chen would be the one who most desired great power. That would bring Sha Chen a sense of security. If that were the case, he surely couldn’t refuse the temptation of becoming a Saint.
Sha Chen, however, looked at Tongtian Hierarch and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior, but I’m afraid I don’t have the good fortune to accept your esteemed regard." He clasped his fists and bowed, a clear gesture of declining Tongtian Hierarch’s invitation.
Tongtian Hierarch was stunned for a moment, not quite processing the response. Sha Chen had rejected him again?
Tongtian Hierarch furrowed his brows. "Could you tell me what reason made you give up the idea of becoming a Saint?"
Sha Chen replied, "I have never given up on becoming a Saint; that is my ultimate pursuit. However, I do not believe that simply by joining a Saint’s sect, I can become a Saint."
Tongtian Hierarch said, "With my guidance, you could avoid many detours. Using the Sect of Interpretation as a springboard, you could protect the peace of the Realm of People, usher in a golden age for humanity, and with the accumulated merit, you would have a chance to become a Saint." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Sha Chen responded, "That process is destined to be filled with bloodshed and carnage, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. But, I am a lover of peace, excessively cautious, and afraid of death. I’d rather not join the fray."
Tongtian Hierarch was so angry he raised his hand, wanting to strike Sha Chen, but after hesitating several times, he ultimately lowered it. He was truly furious. Sha Chen had refused him! And for such an infuriating reason! He knew Sha Chen was timid and overly cautious, but he hadn’t expected him to be so afraid of death that he would pass up the chance to strive for sainthood. It was as if Sha Chen stood before a river, knowing how to swim, with infinite treasures on the opposite bank. If he just swam across, he could obtain immense wealth. But, terrified of drowning, he gave up. He preferred to pace the riverbank, hoping to practice his long jump and leap across in a single bound. Yet, how could that ever be possible? Tongtian Hierarch was seething. He could accept Sha Chen not wanting to become his disciple, but he couldn’t accept Sha Chen being so unambitious and lacking in drive.
Sha Chen was also afraid, worried that Tongtian Hierarch would become enraged and strike him. So, he cautiously backed away. Seeing Tongtian Hierarch raise his hand, he quickly picked up his cup, as if to offer a toast.
Tongtian Hierarch looked at Sha Chen’s antics, a mixture of anger and amusement on his face. Finally, he let out a long sigh, put down his cup, and said, "Sha Chen, I really don’t understand what someone like you is doing, hiding away here."
"Although you have good fortune and can obtain many resources for cultivation, you must remember that one’s opportunities are limited. You might cultivate to the intermediate stage of a Semi-saint, and then all your resources will fail to keep up, let alone achieving Sainthood."
Sha Chen said, "If that’s the case, then this junior will simply cultivate diligently. If I don’t become a Saint, I won’t go out."
Tongtian Hierarch said angrily, "I’ve told you, you won’t become a Saint in a place like this!"
Sha Chen stated, "Then I won’t go out."
Tongtian Hierarch retorted, "If you don’t go out, you cannot become a Saint!"
Sha Chen maintained, "If I don’t become a Saint, I won’t go out."
Exasperated, Tongtian Hierarch raised his hand and rapped Sha Chen on the head a few times. "Are you really that dense?" he fumed. "Being afraid of death and overly cautious is understandable, but there’s no opportunity to become a Saint here!"
Sha Chen remained silent, but his meaning was clear. If there’s no opportunity, he would wait for one.
Tongtian Hierarch fell silent for a long while, then finally shook his head and resumed drinking by himself. When Sha Chen tried to clink cups, he ignored him.
Sha Chen secretly pouted. I’ve offered good wine and food, and this is the thanks I get—a cold shoulder.
However, even though Tongtian Hierarch was giving him the cold shoulder, Sha Chen felt a warmth in his heart and didn’t blame him. Others certainly wouldn’t hope for him to become a Saint. Yet Tongtian Hierarch was actually thinking of helping him achieve sainthood; this was an elder’s affection. But unfortunately, he was not going to leave. His current strength was insufficient. Going out would attract immense trouble, as countless people would covet his wealth and secrets. When trouble came knocking, even a Saint might not be able to protect him. Rather than that, it’s better to first build up his own strength before venturing out to swagger about unimpeded.
Previously, he had been quite worried by Tongtian Hierarch’s words that his resources were limited and that he might only reach the intermediate stage of a Semi-saint in this lifetime. But this was also why he was cultivating strong followers—so they could help him acquire more and better resources. That was why he was cooperating with Immortal Taiyi, allowing him to use the full might of the Qingwei Sect to gather resources. Furthermore, he was diligently cultivating his physical body and Primordial Spirit, as well as strengthening his Divine Powers and magical techniques, and performing Apprentice Treasure. By doing so, he would ensure his cultivation wasn’t too one-dimensional. It would also prevent his strength from being easily deciphered by opponents during confrontations, avoiding a situation where his limited repertoire of trump cards could be exploited. Now, with the Celestial Shen Sha Physique Refining Decision, he felt his physique could ascend to an even higher level. Once he reached the standard of an Ancestral Witch, he could even dare to provoke a Saint. It seemed there wasn’t too much to fear after all.
He even thought that, if possible, he wanted to surpass the Twelve Ancestral Witches and reach heights they had never attained. To truly stand on equal footing with Saints, or even surpass them! He hadn’t dared to dream of it before, but he had a system—something the Ancestral Witches never possessed. That gave him boundless confidence and hope.
Tongtian Hierarch had, in fact, been observing Sha Chen all along. He felt that Sha Chen appeared to be a coward, terrified of death. But, in reality, he was an exceptionally confident person. His confidence was extraordinary, its source a complete mystery. Where would an ordinary person derive such self-assurance? Sha Chen’s inexplicable confidence puzzled Tongtian Hierarch. He had clearly told Sha Chen that without the sanction of the Heavenly Dao, no one could become a Saint. By following him, he could guide Sha Chen to strive for that one-in-a-million chance, to earn the Heavenly Dao’s approval. But Sha Chen was unwilling. He had even thought Sha Chen had given up on becoming a Saint. However, looking into Sha Chen’s eyes, listening to his tone, his heartbeat, his breathing—everything indicated that Sha Chen was perfectly normal at this moment. Not just normal, but exuding immense confidence. Only someone with profound self-belief could possess such a vibrant spirit. Sha Chen was confident, yes, but he had no right to be this confident; he had no guide, no apparent opportunity, nor the destiny to become a Saint. Tongtian Hierarch was baffled. He was a Saint and had always believed he could see through Sha Chen. But as Sha Chen’s strength grew, he found him increasingly inscrutable.
Just then, someone was calling at the door from outside. It had been many years since Sha Chen last heard anyone at his door.
However, he had no intention of responding.
But the callers were clearly not simple characters; they were shouting defiantly, causing quite a commotion.
"Sha Chen of the Flowing Sand River, come out! We are the three Great Demon Kings from Mount Lion Camel! We’ve heard you’re supposedly the number one rogue cultivator in the world now, but we don’t believe it! If you have the guts, accept the challenge from us three brothers! Only then will we acknowledge you as number one!"
"If you can’t, or if you don’t have the courage, then hand over your Flowing Sand River! We three brothers are looking to take over a mountain and establish ourselves as demon lords!"
Hearing the shouts of these three, Sha Chen’s expression turned peculiar. It was them—the three Great Demon Kings from Mount Lion Camel: Green Lion, Bai Xiang, and Golden Winged Dapeng!
He shot a strange look at Tongtian Hierarch because, if he recalled correctly, Green Lion and Bai Xiang had once been disciples of Tongtian Hierarch!
