Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 417 - 411: Taoist Sound Transmission [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
"The Host has been offered an investiture by the Heavenly Court. You have the following choices."
"Choice One: Accept the investiture from the Heavenly Court and receive the reward [Investiture of the Gods]. The Investiture of the Gods is a divine scripture of the same name, imbued with endless Dao intents. Upon recording a name, birthplace, and lineage, it can infuse deceased spirits with vitality, granting them Divine Power and transforming them into Post-Heaven Spirits."
"Choice Two: Refuse the investiture from the Heavenly Court and receive the reward [Taoist Sound Transmission]. Taoist Sound Transmission is one of the Great Divine Powers among the three thousand Dao Techniques. It allows one to send their will and voice intact to any place reached by Divine Consciousness. This transmission cannot be intercepted and can even build a special communication channel to converse with people within the range of Divine Consciousness, without being overheard." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
When Sha Chen saw the options, he felt no hesitation; he had already made up his mind. He would never accept the so-called investiture from the Heavenly Court, as accepting it would mean ascending to the heavens and leaving this place. For Sha Chen, that was impossible.
However, what Sha Chen hadn’t expected was that the reward for refusal would also be so generous.
The Taoist Sound Transmission, a Great Divine Power, was historically exclusive to Peak Quasi-Saints and even stronger beings.
And this Taoist Sound Transmission Great Divine Power Sha Chen received seemed particularly profound; it appeared capable of facilitating communication with others and wasn’t easily intercepted. This Divine Power seemed like a combination of the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission and Sound Transmission into Secrecy. Those with Great Divine Powers could send their voices to a specific location, and the truly mighty could even accurately transmit their voices into the ears of specific individuals.
However, such transmissions could be easily intercepted. For example, if the Great White Plane were to communicate with Ao Lie using traditional Sound Transmission into Secrecy, Sha Chen could fully capture the content of their conversation. In front of the powerful, the weak have no secrets. Traditional Sound Transmission into Secrecy is best used when no powerful beings are nearby, and it is only somewhat effective when one is extremely confident in a one-on-one communication.
Sha Chen’s Taoist Sound Transmission, however, was vastly more powerful—thousands, even tens of thousands of times stronger than Sound Transmission into Secrecy.
Firstly, its range was greatly increased. It was no longer a mere Thousand-Mile or Ten-Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission but could send voices to any place reached by Divine Consciousness. Moreover, it allowed the precise, undistorted, and uninterceptable transmission of sound, and could also establish a dedicated communication channel to send information back to the communicator.
This Great Divine Power was somewhat like the previous communication between the Tongtian Hierarch and Sha Chen; the Tongtian Hierarch could send messages from the infinitely distant Zi Zhi Cliff, and Sha Chen’s response could also be heard by Him.
With Sound Transmission into Secrecy, even the powerful, using their potent Mana and cultivation to transmit sound secretly, faced risks. These included interception, potential distortion of content, or messages being interrupted or incorrectly transmitted. Even instant communication was beyond the capability of Sound Transmission into Secrecy.
In short, Taoist Sound Transmission is the privilege of Peak Quasi-Saints and stronger entities. Although Sha Chen was not a Peak Quasi-Saint, he could, with this Divine Power, accomplish the same feats as one. Moreover, not every Peak Quasi-Saint necessarily knew this Divine Power. However, having reached that foundation, they could strengthen their own Sound Transmission into Secrecy. But Sha Chen directly possessed Taoist Sound Transmission, which was far more formidable and reliable than the Sound Transmission into Secrecy of many Peak Quasi-Saints.
Sha Chen had already made his decision. Seeing him silent, Li Changgeng made a point to remind him again, prompting him to accept the decree.
"General for Folding the Curtain, you should accept the decree. Once you do, you will be free, able to soar through the vast heavens and seas. You’ll not only be at liberty but also hold a high and weighty position, exalted above others."
Li Changgeng felt it necessary to explicitly tell Sha Chen how beneficial accepting the decree would be.
Indeed, this investiture was very generous and entirely different from how the Heavenly Court had initially tried to deceive Sun Wukong. This represented genuinely high status and authority. Although, in practice, the Jade Emperor might distribute some of the position’s power among other trusted subordinates, making it less centralized than Wang Lingguan’s authority. Still, it was far from a trivial post like Sun Wukong’s position as the Stable Minister or his role guarding the Peach Garden; this came with genuine authority.
Furthermore, the status was actively acknowledged by the Heavenly Court. He would be awarded the title of True Lord. This rank was only one step below that of a Celestial God, a position already equivalent to that of the Five Elders of the Five Directions.
Such status and power, second only to the ruler himself, clearly showed that the Heavenly Court truly cherished Sha Chen’s talents.
Although Tathagata refused to concede, the Jade Emperor still did not intend to give up on winning Sha Chen over and reintegrating him into the fold.
Li Changgeng looked at Sha Chen with eager anticipation, feeling certain in his heart that Sha Chen would surely not be able to resist such a grand temptation.
Everyone in the world lives for fame and fortune. Few can truly let go of them. Even Saints are no exception. They vie for karmic fortune and desire fame and wealth even more. The adherents of Buddhism in the West, who claim to be without desires, are no different. They too pursue fame and fortune, and the hierarchy within their ranks is even more rigid. Although it is said that all beings are equal, the hierarchy within Buddhism is strict and insurmountable. Monk, Arhat, Bodhisattva, Buddha—these ranks are rigid and inviolable.
Sha Chen looked at Li Changgeng with a calm expression and said, "Sir Li, the Heavenly Court’s decree is indeed very generous, and it does tempt me. However, I’m afraid I must ask you to return and inform His Majesty that I cannot accept it."
As Li Changgeng listened to the first part, he thought Sha Chen had accepted, but then came the refusal!
HISS.
He gasped, shocked and incredulous, his face a mask of bewilderment and confusion.
He blurted out, "Why?"
He became anxious. "Don’t you understand? By accepting this decree, you would be free and unfettered! From then on, no one would dare to bully you. No one would dare to order you around. You would hold a high position and wield great power. Everyone in the world would respect and look up to you. Isn’t that good!?"
Sha Chen nodded, honestly admitting, "That is very good, and I do desire it. But I do not accept."
Li Changgeng was even more baffled.
He stammered in astonishment, "If you know it’s good, why don’t you accept? This is unreasonable! It’s impossible!"
What was going on in Sha Chen’s mind? He said it was good, yet he still refused.
Sha Chen looked at him, his expression serious and resolute. "Sir Li, everyone has their own aspirations. If it were the old me, I definitely would have gladly agreed. However, after three hundred years of arduous survival, I have come to understand a truth: freedom and supreme status are not granted by others, but earned by oneself."
"You offer me this because I am powerful now. If I were still the former Great General for Folding the Curtain, would you treat me this way? No, definitely not."
He waved his hand and said, "Sir Li, please return. Extend my gratitude to His Majesty the Jade Emperor for his kind intentions. Tell him I will not shorten my five-hundred-year sentence by a single day. That penalty was imposed when I was still a divine general of the Heavenly Court. Only when the five hundred years are complete will I truly be free."
Li Changgeng was stunned.
Then, a chill crept into his heart, and he hurriedly asked, "General for Folding the Curtain, what do you mean by that? Are you intending to completely sever ties with the Heavenly Court? And your words... they are highly inappropriate! Do you bear a grudge against the Jade Emperor? Are you plotting rebellion?"
Sha Chen glanced at him and said, "Sir Li, why did Yang Jian rebel? Do that many people truly want to rebel? They were forced into it. Don’t they wish to live peacefully? Weren’t they driven to it by your suspicions and coercion?!"
"Where in my previous statement did I say I wanted to rebel? I am stating facts. If you think that’s inappropriate, then consider it unsaid."
He took a deep breath and said earnestly, "I will state my position once again: I only wish to cultivate quietly, without being disturbed. The Jade Emperor’s conferment has already disturbed me. His intentions were good, and I don’t blame him for that. However, I still cannot accept his goodwill."
Li Changgeng was even more dumbfounded. Sha Chen knew it was a kind gesture, yet he still refused. What on earth does he mean by this!? Is he repaying kindness with ingratitude? Is he spurning the respect he’s being shown? Is he determined to refuse a toast, only to be forced to drink a penalty?
