Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 407 - 401: Million Year White Tiger Bones【Looking for Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1
"The host is faced with a critical choice. You have the following options."
"Option one: Turn around immediately and return to the cave, and receive the reward [Endless Dharma]. Endless Dharma: Divine powers and cultivation techniques of Buddhism, the supreme Dharma within Mahayana Buddhism."
"Option two: Kill Fuhu Arhat, then turn around and return to the cave, and receive the reward [Million-Year-Old White Tiger Bone]. White Tiger Bone: The bone of a White Tiger from the ancient primordial era, containing boundless White Tiger will; it can strengthen flesh, bones, and sinews."
Sha Chen had only a moment to make his decision, as Maitreya Buddha was already charging toward him. If Maitreya Buddha got too close, escape, even back to his cave, would become exceedingly difficult. Maitreya Buddha’s strength far surpassed his own; he was a High-Level Quasi-Saint, possibly even a Peak Quasi-Saint. The exact extent of his power was unknown, but it was certain that if Maitreya Buddha truly attacked, Sha Chen would be restrained, or even killed outright.
Unless I flee far away, Sha Chen thought. With my speed, Maitreya Buddha definitely wouldn’t be able to catch up. However, leaving this place would be a loss not worth the gain.
In an instant, Sha Chen made up his mind: kill Fuhu Arhat and then immediately retreat. He would strike, and regardless of whether he succeeded in killing Fuhu Arhat, he would turn back.
WHOOSH.
Sha Chen attacked. My axe has already been swung, he knew. It’s impossible to retract it; forcibly doing so might even injure me.
The axe’s light flared, radiating a dazzling brilliance. Divine light flashed, tracing a perfect arc.
Fuhu Arhat was dumbstruck, his face a mask of disbelief and horror, his eyes wide with shock, his heart sinking into despair. I didn’t expect this! he thought. Maitreya Buddha had even employed a diversionary tactic—besieging Wei to rescue Zhao—but Sha Chen remained unmoved, striking with lethal intent, still determined to kill him. By the time Maitreya Buddha captures and kills Sha Chen, it will make no difference to me. Because I am doomed to die.
Fuhu Arhat watched Maitreya Buddha draw ever closer to Sha Chen, even as the light of death was about to descend upon him, sealing his doom. I’m going to die, destined to perish here, he despaired.
SWISH.
The light of the Mountain Splitting Axe fell, cleaving Fuhu Arhat in two, bisecting him instantly. His left eye could see the right half of his body, his right eye the left. Despair filled his gaze; he knew he was dying, fated to perish here. Sha Chen’s axe stroke had extinguished all his vitality.
But, summoning his last ounce of strength, he roared, "Sha Chen, I’m dying, but you won’t live either!"
Sha Chen, however, merely chuckled. He completed his axe swing and then turned, diving straight into the Flowing Sand River Cave. He was right at the cave entrance, and the spatial barrier he himself had erected was like air to him. With his spatial abilities, passing through was effortless.
Still, Sha Chen worried Maitreya Buddha might exploit an opening. Without looking back, he produced the Plantain Fan and fanned it vigorously behind him.
Maitreya Buddha, still some distance away, felt a powerful gust of wind, yet he was not blown away. He simply extended his hand, and a glowing "stabilize" character appeared in his palm, anchoring him as immovably as a mountain, as solid as Mount Tai.
Maitreya Buddha sneered, "Sha Chen, I knew you possessed the Plantain Fan. But this seat has the Wind-Stabilizing Charm; don’t imagine you can affect me in the slightest!"
Sha Chen didn’t turn his head. He immediately drew the Sky Shaking Bow, nocked an arrow, and this time, he used a Shooting Sun Divine Arrow. With his powerful physique, he drew the bowstring fully and released it without hesitation. The Shooting Sun Divine Arrow streaked forth.
This is my last Shooting Sun Divine Arrow, Sha Chen thought, but I don’t feel the slightest regret. As long as I can escape and it serves its purpose, that’s enough.
The Shooting Sun Divine Arrow possessed boundless power, capable of piercing clouds and armor, its destructive force immense. Sha Chen didn’t need to look back or even sense it to know how terrifyingly potent the arrow was. Previously, when his cultivation was below Quasi-Saint and his physical body was merely a Da Luo Dharmakaya, he could already unleash the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow’s power to a frightening degree. An unprepared Pinnacle Daluo would be directly wounded. Even Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was nearly shot dead by him, and back then, Sha Chen was only an early-stage Da Luo.
Now, Sha Chen was an early-stage Quasi-Saint and had achieved initial success in cultivating the Primeval Chaos Law Body. His physical body was exceptional, and his strength, immense. Pulling the Sky Shaking Bow to its fullest extent, he infused the Shooting Sun Divine Arrow with all his essence, energy, and spirit, making its power even greater.
Even before it was loosed, merely aiming it at Maitreya Buddha made the latter’s scalp tingle, a prickling sensation running down his spine.
The two who accompanied Maitreya Buddha, Manjushri and Samantabhadra, were utterly terrified. When they had first arrived, they had been arrogant and condescending, full of extraordinary pride and a palpable murderous aura. They had been eager to confront Sha Chen, to pin him to the ground and grind him underfoot.
But now, they were scared witless. Seeing Sha Chen aim in their general direction—though not directly at them—they immediately turned and fled to either side.
Maitreya Buddha cursed. Then, with a grave expression, he produced a golden shield that expanded in the wind as he threw it up to block in front of him.
WHOOSH.
The Shooting Sun Divine Arrow streaked instantly, piercing through his golden shield and striking him. At the critical moment, Maitreya Buddha managed to twist his body aside, avoiding a fatal blow. Nevertheless, his right shoulder was directly blasted apart, blood gushing freely, a mangled mess of flesh.
Enraged, Maitreya Buddha hastily swallowed an elixir. His flesh began to regenerate as he turned his gaze towards the Flowing Sand River.
However, he saw that the Flowing Sand River, which had been so close, had returned to its original state, once again calm and tranquil, without a single ripple or wave. As for Sha Chen, he was nowhere to be seen.
Clearly, Sha Chen had returned to the Flowing Sand River Cave and vanished without a trace. The Flowing Sand River had also returned to tranquility, everything appearing as normal, with no sign of Sha Chen whatsoever.
Seeing this, Maitreya Buddha was incandescent with rage. Roaring furiously, he waved his hand, parting the Flowing Sand River and revealing the Flowing Sand River Cave once more.
But the cave’s great gates were closed, appearing impregnable and impossible to breach by force.
I know Zhenyuanzi once forcefully attacked the Flowing Sand River Cave but couldn’t break through, Maitreya recalled. If even a peerless great one like Zhenyuanzi couldn’t break in, then no matter how hard I try, it will be futile.
Thus, he could only roar impotently outside, bellowing continuously.
Manjushri and Samantabhadra returned, approaching Maitreya Buddha with expressions of embarrassment and lingering fear.
Manjushri asked, "Sha Chen has escaped back to the cave. What do we do now?"
Maitreya Buddha glared at him, huffing, "If you hadn’t fled just now but charged forward to engage him, even restraining him for a mere moment would have bought this seat enough time.
"Killing Sha Chen would have been only a matter of time. Instead, you actually fled."
Manjushri and Samantabhadra felt a keen sense of humiliation; they too were venerable ones, their status only slightly inferior to Maitreya Buddha’s. It wasn’t a vast difference, yet being admonished by Maitreya Buddha as if they were mere subordinates was deeply mortifying.
Frowning, Bodhisattva Manjushri retorted, "You couldn’t even stop him yourself. How could we have possibly resisted?
"Had we tried to resist, we would have perished instantly. That would have played right into your hands, sacrificing us for your benefit—such a fine outcome you undoubtedly envisioned!"
Maitreya Buddha seethed, not expecting them to dare rebut him so brazenly.
Still, I have no better recourse, Maitreya Buddha thought, as Manjushri and Samantabhadra’s status truly isn’t much lower than mine. And I need them as allies, not enemies.
Therefore, he decided to let the matter drop for the time being.
It was only then that Bodhisattva Samantabhadra remembered the slain Fuhu Arhat and hastily went to search for Fuhu’s remains. Then, they found Fuhu Arhat’s body, cleft in two. Their faces turned ashen, their eyes wide with horror.
