Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 398 - 392: Defeating Lord Wu Qu Xing [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Chapter 398: Chapter 392: Defeating Lord Wu Qu Xing [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

The Jinghe Dragon King repeatedly confirmed and discovered that Sha Chen truly possessed the lost Dragon Clan cultivation technique. He was so excited he couldn’t contain himself. As for the fact that the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas hadn’t mentioned this to him, he didn’t take it to heart. Although he felt some resentment, he would have done the same if he were in their shoes.

Ao Lie also felt uncomfortable, so after Sha Chen confirmed that he could pass the techniques on to the Jinghe Dragon King, he taught them without reservation. The Jinghe Dragon King, having obtained the Dragon Clan’s innate cultivation technique, was so moved that he was on the verge of tears. With this technique, he was confident that he could reach the pinnacle of Da Luo within his lifetime. Originally, he had no such confidence. Advancing one’s cultivation level was not as simple as it might seem. His potential didn’t allow for it; without the cultivation technique, just relying on sheer endurance wouldn’t have been enough to advance. Fortunately, now he had the cultivation technique.

Once the Jinghe Dragon King had mastered the cultivation technique, Sha Chen then lectured them. He also discussed his recent understanding of the True Dragon Body Forging Technique; in fact, he had used the celestial tomes to deduce that the technique could indeed be further perfected. The perfected parts were still timely enough to pass on to Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl. This time, he directly bestowed the complete teachings on them all at once, which brought them immense benefits and joyful surprises.

Passing on the cultivation technique was not enough; Sha Chen also lectured them on Dao Techniques. Although they were of the Dragon Clan, practicing the refinement of flesh and Divine Power, a deeper understanding of Dao Techniques would make their own cultivation much more effortless. Sha Chen taught them the Tao Te Ching. As for the Qingping Scripture and the Jade Purity Scripture, he only imparted a superficial understanding. It wasn’t that he was being secretive, but he felt that these two Dao Techniques wouldn’t be of much help to them. It was better not to bite off more than they could chew; they could simply concentrate on studying the True Dragon Body Forging Technique and the Tao Te Ching. The True Dragon Body Forging Technique could strengthen their flesh, and the Tao Te Ching could strengthen their Primordial Spirits; this alone was already enough. Beyond that, Sha Chen explained other Dao Techniques to them, especially the elemental spells and Divine Powers they each controlled, which were all different. Coincidentally, Sha Chen knew them all and taught these to them too.

「A month passed.」

Ao Lie and the other two greatly benefited and gained substantially. Meanwhile, Sha Chen suddenly said, "The Golden Winged Dapeng has slain Wu Qu Xing, liberating the Jinghe Crystal Palace; your wife and children have been rescued."

The Jinghe Dragon King was stunned, then tears came flowing down, and he knelt on the ground to kowtow and thank Sha Chen. Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl were also somewhat excited and happy; after all, these were their kinsmen, their elders. They too wished for the Jinghe Dragon King’s family to be safe.

After the Jinghe Dragon King cried his heart out, he stood up, wanting to return and reunite with his family.

Sha Chen said, "There is no hurry. After the Golden Winged Dapeng killed Wu Qu Xing, Dou Rong, he ended up clashing with the Eight Immortals and the Eighteen Arhats and was able to emerge victorious. However, he didn’t count on Buddhism having a trap set. As soon as there was trouble, powerful beings appeared, embroiling him in battle."

The Jinghe Dragon King immediately expressed his concern, "How is Brother Dapeng doing?"

Sha Chen replied, "Don’t worry. As long as the Tathagata himself doesn’t take action, even if Maitreya Buddha were to confront him, capturing the Golden Winged Dapeng would be impossible." With Sha Chen’s guidance, the Golden Winged Dapeng’s strength had vastly improved in just a few years. Having also received Sha Chen’s Yuanfeng True Secret, the Golden Winged Dapeng’s bloodline became even purer. After venturing out this time, his cultivation directly broke through to the Intermediate Stage of Semi-saint, surpassing even Sha Chen. Although there are many more powerful than the Golden Winged Dapeng on Lingjiu Mountain, few can match his speed. To capture the Golden Winged Dapeng is truly not an easy task.

After killing Wu Qu Xing, the Golden Winged Dapeng defeated numerous ambushes from celestial and Buddhist forces and had fully incurred their wrath. He should have been pursued and killed, but his strength was too formidable. Even the great being that came from Lingjiu Mountain couldn’t get the better of him; despite a lengthy battle, no victor emerged.

The Jinghe must be in chaos now, and the Crystal Palace has turned into ruins. Even though the dragon offspring are safe, they now have nowhere to go and are likely neglected in this critical time. The Jinghe Dragon King’s return could certainly settle them, but with the celestials and Buddhists still present, if he goes back now, would it not make others suspect his connection with the Golden Winged Dapeng? In doing so, wouldn’t the Golden Winged Dapeng’s efforts to conceal himself be in vain? Not only in vain, but the union between the Golden Winged Dapeng and the Jinghe Dragon King could also give other clans a good excuse. They could use this opportunity to condemn the Jinghe Dragon King. The Jade Emperor had not yet accused the Jinghe Dragon King of anything. But if linked with the Golden Winged Dapeng, that would certainly warrant charges. The Golden Winged Dapeng was now descended to the mortal realm; having killed Wu Qu Xing, he was an escaped demon fugitive wanted by the Heavenly Court. Consorting with demons, slaying a celestial official—these are heavy crimes. Even if Wu Qu Xing had seized the Crystal Palace, imprisoned the dragon offspring, killed the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, and bullied both men and women... but that had not spread widely. The death of Wu Qu Xing at the hands of the Golden Winged Dapeng, however, had been publicized. This was a matter the Jade Emperor could control at will, either to spread the news or to justify sentencing.

Sha Chen said, "Dragon King, what you need to do now is to avoid any missteps. It would be best not to involve yourself in worldly affairs, and even to relinquish your authority to summon clouds and rain. Otherwise, sooner or later, the Jade Emperor will come looking for you again. But if you cede your powers, anyone with clear sight will see that you’ve yielded and followed the righteous path. If the Jade Emperor still targets you, then he would be deemed a tyrant."

The Jinghe Dragon King pondered, hesitating. Sha Chen chuckled softly, shook his head, and did not persuade any further. He knew the Jinghe Dragon King’s hesitation was due to his attachment to that power. Although summoning clouds and rain seemed simple, beings of great power could all summon wind and call rain. However, the Jinghe Dragon King’s duty of summoning clouds and distributing rain controlled the livelihood of all people, earning him their respect, as he commanded the merits of the Realm of People. Thinking thus, one could comprehend the sheer magnitude of such power. If the Dragon Clan accumulated merits and grew stronger, it would pose a tremendous threat to both the Jade Emperor and all under heaven. For the Dragon Clan, it was a good thing. For the Jinghe Dragon King, it was power, the reverence of the masses, and the foundation of his strength. Otherwise, with his talent and without any Cultivation Techniques, aiming to achieve his current success by merely biding time would have been insufficient. The many years of summoning clouds and distributing rain, and the merits accumulated thereby, were also indispensable to his accomplishments. His reluctance to let go was, thus, quite natural. Moreover, controlling the rainfall allowed him to command even more immortal generals and soldiers. If he relinquished this power, he would lose command over his troops as well.

In the end, it came down to power and benefits. The Jinghe Dragon King could not bear to part with these two things. If he could have let go, he should have understood and moved on when Sha Chen, incarnated as Li Bai, advised him back then. If he had let go, there wouldn’t be such a situation. Even if there was, it wouldn’t have come about so quickly.

Sha Chen did not persuade him, but Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl were ceaselessly advising. "Uncle, have you forgotten?" Ao Lie urged. "Only when one is strong in their own right can they do as they wish. Power without true strength is always unreliable."

The Jinghe Dragon King fell silent for a moment, as if he had made up his mind, and nodded, saying, "Everything will be as the river lord commands. After all, from now on, my life is in the river lord’s hands. Whatever his orders, I dare not disobey."

Sha Chen gave a faint smile and said, "Dragon King, be at ease. Surrendering the authority to summon clouds and rain isn’t a great loss to you. Once your strength is sufficient, the Jade Emperor will return the authority to you, or even grant you greater power. The sole reason for acting against you today is because your strength isn’t yet formidable. Now that you have stepped into Da Luo, his estimation of you must have changed, and he will regard you with wariness. If one day your strength grows further, what more can he do to you?"

Then he looked towards Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl and calmly said, "Remember this as well: Heavenly Court still plots against Ao Lie and seeks Mengmeng merely because your strength is lacking. If you showcase your might to the world, who would dare to act rashly?"

Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl clenched their fists, feeling stifled. Currently, they were like rats crossing the street, shunned by everyone. Especially the Dragon Girl, a fugitive from an arranged marriage, who was still wanted and also despised by the Dragon Clan. And Ao Lie was no better off. Heavenly Court’s schemes were to make him seek refuge within Buddhism. However, his repeated escapes and his refusal to be manipulated were even more problematic for Buddhism.

Ao Lie said, "Brother, our current level of cultivation isn’t bad. Why don’t we make a direct appearance and shock Heavenly Court? That way, they wouldn’t dare to mess with our Dragon Clan."

Sha Chen glanced at him and said scornfully, "You’re merely at the Mid-level Da Luo. What counts as ’not bad’? I could kill you with a flick of my finger, let alone the multitude of experts in Heavenly Court."

Ao Lie gritted his teeth and said, "If Mid-level Da Luo is insufficient, then what is required to avoid being bullied by others?"

Sha Chen calmly replied, "You’d need to be at least at the peak of Da Luo. If you have the ability to reach Quasi-Saint, then that would be ideal."

The peak of Da Luo? A Quasi-Saint? Such realms had previously seemed utterly unattainable to them. But now, they seemed to truly be within reach! Their talents had been significantly altered; aside from imparting wisdom, Sha Chen had also worked on changing their talents over the past month. Peaches of Immortality, ginseng fruits, osmanthus wine, and enlightenment tea—nothing was in short supply! Their talents had changed a lot, and their potential had greatly increased. One might say they now possessed the potential to step into the Quasi-Saint Realm. Yet, having potential was just barely sufficient. Actually entering the Quasi-Saint Realm was not so simple.

Sha Chen looked at them and said indifferently, "Don’t be too disheartened. I will impart my teachings to you. You must pursue your own enlightenment and strive for it; you’ll succeed. Once your strength is formidable, would Heavenly Court and Buddhism dare to meddle with you?"

Both nodded vigorously, finding truth in his words. They had absolute trust in Sha Chen. Whatever he said, they would follow.

Afterward, Sha Chen continued to impart wisdom to them and also improved their physical constitution and potential. As for the Jinghe Dragon King, so be it. No matter how his potential was changed, reaching the peak of Da Luo was his limit. Since he had not managed to reach Da Luo for most of his life, his lifespan and potential were mostly depleted. That he could slightly alter his potential and extend his lifespan through ginseng fruits and Peaches of Immortality was already a great merit. Anything more than that was impossible. Sha Chen focused on cultivating Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl.

Sha Chen himself was also busy. Previously, due to the lack of resources, his cultivation had been very restricted. Now that they had brought back enough resources for him to cultivate for decades, he naturally wouldn’t fall behind. Especially since Sha Chen had also received rewards from the system, including three Shilong Dragon Yuan pieces, which could enhance his physique. He had obtained some before and directly increased his physical form to a Primeval Chaos Law Body. Now, I intend to refine them and advance my physical form to the minor completion of a Primeval Chaos Law Body. Then, perhaps, all my elemental Divine Powers will strengthen as well. Such as the power of space!