Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 409 - 403: Wrath of Thunder [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
The crowd was shocked and bewildered, looking at each other with trepidation.
The Jinghe Dragon King said with guilt, "River Lord, I am truly sorry for dragging you into this."
Sha Chen glanced at him and said, "I’ve already said, he’s coming for me; you are merely secondary."
Although both the Heavenly Court and Buddhism claimed to act for the sake of the Jinghe Dragon King, in reality, everyone knew that coming here meant Sha Chen was in charge. They had dealt with him over far greater issues before; was it worth risking war with Sha Chen over the trivial matter of the Jinghe Dragon King this time?
Thus, the Jinghe Dragon King was just a pretext; the main objective was to deal with Sha Chen.
Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl wore grave expressions as they said, "Does this mean that the Heavenly Court and Lingjiu Mountain are primarily here for our brother?"
The Jinghe Dragon King was also stunned. Was it not about him?
Sha Chen calmly said, "The main target is me; the Jinghe Dragon King is merely the trigger for their action." Then, looking at the Jinghe Dragon King, he added, "Do you really think you’re valuable enough for a Quasi-Saint to come after you with several Daluo Golden Immortals and a sky full of Immortals and Buddhists?"
The Jinghe Dragon King was taken aback, then forced a bitter smile. Not to mention that it wouldn’t be possible even after his breakthrough; previously, his cultivation was only that of a Greater Primordial Golden Immortal. It was impossible for them to dispatch a Quasi-Saint and Daluo Golden Immortals just to deal with him. Such a major military undertaking was indeed targeting Sha Chen. He was just an excuse for them to take action.
The Dragon Girl said, "General Brother, if they were here for my uncle, it might be all right, but if they are here for you, what should we do?"
The Jinghe Dragon King, listening on the side, felt very uncomfortable. What did she mean by saying it’s okay if they came for him, but it’s a disaster if they came for Sha Chen? That’s too much!
Yet, he dared not say more.
Sha Chen said indifferently, "If war comes, we will fight; if a flood comes, we will build a dam. Moreover, today’s situation is like fire and water; the two sides have no room for turning back now."
The Jinghe Dragon King kneeled on the ground with a THUD and said, "It’s all this king’s fault for harming the River Lord."
Sha Chen said no more.
Ao Lie and the Dragon Girl helped the Jinghe Dragon King up, and everyone fell into silence.
Although Sha Chen stated that this matter had nothing to do with the Jinghe Dragon King and that the Immortals and Buddhists were targeting him, he was, after all, the trigger. If it hadn’t been for him, the Immortals and Buddhists wouldn’t have had any reason to come to Flowing Sand River, at least not recently. Moreover, Sha Chen wouldn’t have been forced to take action against them.
In their attack, many Immortals and Buddhists were killed. Especially notable were Emperor Zhenwu and Wang Lingguan, as well as some of the Eight Immortals, and Fuhu Arhat. All these well-known figures perished at the hands of Sha Chen.
Fuhu Arhat was the head of the Buddhism Arhat Hall and a key intermediary between the Heavenly Court and Maitreya Buddha, as well as an important figure in Buddhism. For such a distinguished figure to die at Flowing Sand River, falling to the hands of Sha Chen—could Lingjiu Mountain let it go!?
Not to mention Emperor Zhenwu, figures like Wang Lingguan and the Eight Immortals were the Jade Emperor’s confidants and reliable aides.
You must know, Wang Lingguan controlled the Jade Emperor’s personal guard and was a true confidant; even Sha Chen used to be under Wang Lingguan’s control. But in the end, he died by Sha Chen’s hands.
The Eight Immortals, after the Primordial Era, pledged loyalty to the Heavenly Court and were not part of the scattered schools and disciples; they were an entity unto themselves. That means the Eight Immortals were an independent power, all obedient to the Jade Emperor’s command, surely the pick of the confidants. They were not like Zhao Gongming and Li Jing, who were backed by imposing Saint’s forces, immensely vast and complicated. These individuals were not unequivocally loyal. They could not be completely controlled or eradicated in one strike; the Jade Emperor could only use their power, not fully command it. Hence, one can imagine how important the Eight Immortals were in the eyes of the Jade Emperor—they were extremely significant.
As for Emperor Zhenwu, his status was equivalent to that of a prince in the mortal world—lofty and revered, akin to a mascot. Additionally, he possessed real strength. For such a mascot to be killed was a slap in the face to the Heavenly Court, with repercussions more detrimental than killing Wang Lingguan and the Eight Immortals. The others might be manageable, but the fall of Emperor Zhenwu was a significant blow to the Heavenly Court, and its impact was especially negative. The Jade Emperor would definitely not let this lie. No wonder Sha Chen looked so troubled; this time, they really had stirred up a hornet’s nest. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
「At this moment.」
「Heavenly Court.」
The Immortals had already received news of the complete defeat at Flowing Sand River, and a group of broken soldiers and defeated warriors knelt outside the Ninth Heaven Southern Heaven Gate. Inside Lingxiao Palace, the atmosphere was tense. The Jade Emperor was thundering in rage, roaring furiously.
"Useless, all of you are useless! A million heavenly soldiers and generals went, yet you couldn’t capture a single demoted general."
"How pitifully incompetent—how can I rely on you to safeguard the peace of the Three Realms? It’s bad enough you lost the fight, but to suffer casualties as well!"
The Immortals dared not utter a sound, but Li Changgeng knew he had to speak up. He hesitated, waiting for the Jade Emperor to unleash his fury once more. Then he said, "Your Majesty, Sha Chen’s progress has been phenomenally rapid. His strength is formidable and no longer comparable to before. Even Emperor Zhenwu was no match for him. Under the heavens, very few can surpass him now."
The Jade Emperor snorted coldly, "Are you telling me that in all these realms, there is no one who can discipline him? How long has it been since his demotion to the mortal world? He was only a mere True Immortal before, and now he claims invincibility everywhere!?"
The Immortals were rendered silent, unable to respond.
Li Changgeng continued, "Your Majesty, Sha Chen must have had some fortuitous encounters and, moreover, has been supported by a highly skilled mentor. The Divine Powers and spells he displayed bear the influence of both the Chan Sect and the Sect of Interpretation; it’s very likely..."
He cut himself off, but his meaning was clear to everyone. That is to say, Sha Chen might have connections with the Sect of Interpretation and the Chan Sect, possibly with Lord Yuan Shi and Tongtian Hierarch. After all, who besides a Saint could train such an exceptional person!?
The Jade Emperor demanded, "Go on."
Li Changgeng obliged, "Your Majesty, if Sha Chen truly has a Saint standing behind him, then dealing with him will be difficult. Although there are a few across the heavens whose strength is just below that of a Quasi-Saint, virtually all of them are under a Saint’s patronage."
"Moreover, it’s said that Sha Chen’s cultivation focuses on his physical body. While his exact cultivation level is still unknown, his physical body is definitely a Primeval Chaos Law Body. It might have already reached an extremely high level."
Outside the palace knelt Lv Dongbin, head bowed low as he said, "Sha Chen’s Primeval Chaos Law Body is likely at the Small Achievement Realm, and his cultivation level proves elusive to us."
HISS.
The crowd gasped, their scalps tingling.
A Primeval Chaos Law Body at the Small Achievement Realm equates to the Intermediate Stage of a Quasi-Saint, and those with strong physical bodies are generally more formidable than their peers of the same cultivation realm. This means that Sha Chen is considerably more powerful than other Quasi-Saints of the Intermediate Stage. A Quasi-Saint is already difficult to deal with, and Sha Chen is at the Intermediate Stage of a Quasi-Saint. No wonder Emperor Zhenwu was killed by him. With such strength, there really aren’t many under the heavens who could defeat him.
THUMP.
The Jade Emperor slammed his palm on the table and exclaimed angrily, "I don’t want you to tell me how formidable Sha Chen is! I want you to capture him for me—capture him, understand!?"
