Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 405 - 399: Being Sold [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
Emperor Zhenwu was bewildered. Looking at Sha Chen’s sinister smile, he sensed trouble. The arrow was on the bowstring, however, and he had no choice but to release it. Moreover, having already made his move, he couldn’t stop, let alone retreat. With resolve, he launched Wan Jian’s Homecoming, his most powerful sword technique—the strongest of his life. Others assisted him, some trying to break into Sha Chen’s cave dwelling. At this point, Sha Chen should be powerless to change anything, Emperor Zhenwu thought. Even if he blocks my technique, he certainly can’t stop others from entering his cave dwelling.
Sha Chen stood at the entrance of his cave dwelling, a sinister smile on his lips. He completely ignored Fuhu Arhat and the Eight Immortals’ onslaught, instead holding the Mountain Splitting Axe, Plantain Fan, and other Magical Tools. At the same time, his hands formed seals to invoke a Great Divine Power.
The Nine-character True Words.
"All warriors who face battle, form ranks and advance!"
As Sha Chen cast this incantation, he achieved a state of profound unity; his body fused with the Tian Luo Treasure Cover, Sky Covering Umbrella, Eight-Treasure Water Tower, and Apricot Yellow Flag of Wuji, all from his Flowing Sand River Cave. A radiant glow enveloped him, effortlessly blocking Wan Jian’s Homecoming.
Though Sha Chen’s physical body was powerful, having already attained minor success in the Primeval Chaos Law Body, blocking this sword strike wasn’t an issue. However, it would certainly sting a little, he mused, and who knows if Emperor Zhenwu has another trick up his sleeve? He decided to use his most potent Divine Powers and Magical Tools to defend, meeting the attack with his mightiest stance. This display was indeed enough to stun Emperor Zhenwu and the others. Emperor Zhenwu, in particular, was dumbfounded, his face vacant with disbelief.
Sha Chen then declared, "Remember this: from now on, Emperor Zhenwu will no longer be a figure in the myths of the Heavenly Realm."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhenwu was consumed by shock and anger. Yet, for some unknown reason, he felt a chill crawl down his spine, and his scalp seemed to explode with a dreadful premonition, like a sword hanging over his head. Then, he saw Sha Chen swing the Mountain Splitting Axe, a dazzling light streaking across the sky.
Sha Chen himself, through his cultivation of the Heavenly Splitting Palm, had long since melded with the Mountain Splitting Axe, achieving a perfect unity between man and weapon. With a single swing, he easily cleaved Emperor Zhenwu in two.
Emperor Zhenwu, watching the axe descend, was stunned. His face went blank; he was unable to dodge in time. He tried to defend himself, but his attempts were futile. The axe... I intended to borrow it to deal with the Flowing Sand River Cave, but who could have known it would be used against me? How could I possibly block it? How could I evade it?
Before his form completely dissipated, Emperor Zhenwu asked, "Why... why did the Mountain Splitting Axe fall into your hands?"
Sha Chen replied indifferently, "It has always been in my hands."
Emperor Zhenwu nodded, his body dissolving into twinkling starlight before dispersing completely. That single axe strike had nearly obliterated him; it was terrifyingly formidable.
One must understand that Emperor Zhenwu was a Quasi-Saint, his powers vast enough to reach the heavens, his techniques as numerous as hairs on an ox. Ordinarily, forget Sha Chen; even a High-rank Quasi-Saint would have found it no easy feat to kill him. Even if outmatched, escaping wouldn’t have posed much of a problem. This time, however, there was no escape, no defense. He was dead.
The assembled Immortals watched, stunned for a moment before screaming in terror and attempting to flee. The Eight Immortals and the Eighteen Arhats felt their scalps tingle with fear and also wanted to retreat, but they were already near the cave dwelling. The cave is right there, they thought, getting inside shouldn’t be a problem.
They were mistaken. When they reached the cave, they could have entered, as Sha Chen paid them no mind. Yet, they could not get in.
Though the cave dwelling’s doors were open, Formations were active, and an impenetrable spatial barrier lay across the entrance. This invisible yet tangible barrier blocked access. Neither Immortals nor Buddhas could pass through it. Those who crashed into it were immediately injured, their heads cracked and bleeding.
Iron Crutch Li of the Eight Immortals was the first to bear the brunt. His speed was tremendous, and he rushed forward, slamming headfirst into the barrier. The impact left him with a profusely bleeding head wound, nearly causing his physical body to collapse. A mouthful of old blood spurted out, drenching him, his features becoming a bloody blur.
The other Immortals and Buddhas, still dazed, reacted too late and similarly crashed into the barrier, emerging with bloody and broken heads. Even worse off were those whose physical bodies were inherently weaker; despite their protective divine light, the impact battered them to pieces, killing them on the spot. Their speed had been too great, their bodies too fragile; they were destroyed upon collision.
Those further back forcefully tried to halt their momentum, but the wave of figures charging from behind was too immense; there was no stopping the chain reaction. They crashed like a torrent against the spatial barrier. Even those at the front who had managed to steady themselves were slammed forward again by the press of bodies behind them. Caught in this crush, they were gravely injured, if not killed outright.
Powerful Immortals managed to use their strong divine light to push away those crowding them. They were filled with shock and rage, but even more so with horror and disbelief.
Han Zhongli exclaimed in shock, "There’s actually a spatial barrier! How is this possible? How could such a thing exist at the mere Flowing Sand River?"
Lv Dongbin’s eyes also reflected his shock. "Impossible... Could Sha Chen also possess a Spatial Divine Skill?"
All the Immortals were stunned.
Seeing this, Fuhu Arhat’s scalp also went numb. He urgently shouted, "Retreat! Quickly, retreat!"
With this spatial barrier here, entering the cave dwelling is impossible, Fuhu Arhat realized. No wonder Sha Chen was so confident coming out. He must have had this prepared as a fallback; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so assured.
However, they were wrong again.
Even without the spatial barrier, their entry into my cave dwelling would depend entirely on my whim, Sha Chen mused. If I were unwilling, a simple Drawing Ground into Prison at the doorway or a wave of my Plantain Fan could trap them or blow them all away. As long as I wished it, they wouldn’t even have the chance to approach the entrance. They shouldn’t think that just because Emperor Zhenwu was with them, they could restrain me. I dealt with him in a single move. With another flick of my wrist, I can easily stop all of them. It all depends on whether I feel like it. With this spatial barrier, there’s no need for such desperate measures to block everyone effectively. Besides, even if they did manage to get inside, what could they possibly do? They would only see what I allow them to see. Otherwise, they’d walk right into the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation and see nothing at all. Not only would they see nothing, but they’d also never leave, dying directly inside. Out here, their lives are already hanging by a thread. If they entered my cave dwelling, closing the door behind them would be like trapping turtles in a jar. How could they possibly escape?
All the Immortals and Buddhas wanted to retreat. They couldn’t break Sha Chen’s spatial barrier and had no other choice.
Sha Chen sneered, "Too late."
Disaster is upon us! The Immortals and Buddhas were terrified, overcome with immense fear. They all fell back, but now they directly faced Sha Chen, the very person they had tried to bypass to enter the cave dwelling.
Divine Thunder rained down from the sky, striking the Immortals and Buddhas. Ordinary celestial soldiers and novice Monks died in droves, with over one hundred thousand casualties in an instant. Then, a massive fire blazed forth, incinerating hundreds of thousands more.
Countless bodies tumbled into the Flowing Sand River, instantly swallowed by its currents. Even those who didn’t die immediately couldn’t escape; they were doomed to perish within the river. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Lv Dongbin shouted, "Everyone, we must strike together! Otherwise, there will be no escape for us!" He was the first to thrust out his Pure Yang Sword, and the other seven of the Eight Immortals immediately followed suit. This group, bound by ties of master-student and close friendship, possessed an innate understanding of one another, their coordination seamless. Now, as they united their efforts, the display of power was earth-shattering, each Immortal unleashing their unique divine abilities.
Fuhu Arhat also roared, "Excellent! Let’s strike together!"
The other Immortals and Buddhas also cried out and launched their attacks. But at that very moment, after yelling his encouragement, Fuhu Arhat betrayed them all. He darted to the side, leaving the massed Immortals and Buddhas to bear the brunt of the combined assault they had just committed to.
Having already launched their techniques, they were unable to withdraw or stop. They knew Fuhu Arhat had sold them out and were furious, yet utterly helpless. They didn’t even have the breath to curse his treachery.
Only the powerful Lv Dongbin, amidst his shock and anger, managed to roar, "Fuhu, you are despicable!"
