Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 426 - 420: Three Holy Mother is also Wanted【Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1
The Three Holy Mother looked at Sha Chen’s expression, which suggested he wanted to cry but couldn’t, and she seemed to realize she had caused trouble.
With her head lowered and lips pursed, she looked pitifully endearing.
But Sha Chen wasn’t buying it.
Instead, he looked at her and said, "If I had known earlier that you’d stirred up trouble with the Nuwa Palace, I wouldn’t have let you in."
He poked the Three Holy Mother’s forehead. "You’re from the Nuwa Palace yourself," he said. "You’re even a descendant of Nuwa and possess the Treasured Lotus Lantern. Yet you ended up on the Nuwa Palace’s wanted list. Aren’t you ashamed?"
The Three Holy Mother flinched slightly. "I’m not being hunted," she said. "They just want to capture me and take me back to give the Nether World an explanation."
Sha Chen said, "I think an explanation is indeed in order."
The Three Holy Mother grew anxious. She hurriedly grabbed Sha Chen’s arm, shook it, and pleaded, "Big Brother, please don’t! I beg you, don’t hand me over. If you do, they’ll make me surrender all the resources."
Sha Chen was stunned and furrowed his brows. Was it that serious? Wasn’t handing over the person enough? How could he possibly give away the resources that had entered his pocket!
Sha Chen patted the back of the Three Holy Mother’s hand. "Don’t worry," he said. "The resources will definitely not be handed over."
The Three Holy Mother immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Just handing me over is definitely not acceptable," she then said. "But Big Brother, you don’t have to worry. Even though the Nuwa Palace wants to capture me, they’ve never been able to find me. I think they’re just putting on an act for others to see."
Sha Chen considered this and felt there was some truth to it.
With the Three Holy Mother’s strength, if the Nuwa Palace truly wanted to capture someone, they would have done so long ago.
The fact that they haven’t captured her yet must mean they are feigning compliance while secretly defying them.
He then asked, "How is your relationship with your martial brothers and sisters? Will they really capture you and even implicate me!?"
The Three Holy Mother hurriedly replied, "My relationship with them is as if we were true siblings, and several of my senior martial brothers are also very protective of me."
Sha Chen thought about it. The Three Holy Mother was dignified and elegant, indeed very likable. It was quite possible that she was cherished within the Nuwa Palace.
Perhaps it really was just a smokescreen released by the Nuwa Palace, a perfunctory excuse for the Nether World. In reality, how could the Nuwa Palace truly capture their own junior disciple? That would be too embarrassing.
The more Sha Chen thought about it, the more he felt his assumption was correct. But for some reason, he felt a growing unease.
The Three Holy Mother’s eyes flickered. Sha Chen frowned. He was about to use his mind-reading ability to see if she was lying when the Treasured Lotus Lantern within the Three Holy Mother suddenly activated its protection, its light nearly blinding him and causing his ears to ring sharply.
No longer daring to probe her inner thoughts, Sha Chen felt quite frustrated.
For the moment, unsure if the Three Holy Mother was telling the truth, he could only remain skeptical.
Sha Chen said, "Since you both have troubles, you can stay here for the time being. I’ll provide you with a temporary safe haven."
"But let me be clear upfront: if real trouble comes and I cannot resist, I’ll have to hand you over. You can’t blame me for that. And you certainly better not sell me out."
Nezha and the Three Holy Mother hastened to agree.
But both of them felt that Sha Chen would definitely not hand them over; he was only saying this to motivate them to strive harder.
After they had their fill of food and wine, Sha Chen pulled Nezha aside. He taught him the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the 36 Transformations, both of which Nezha had studied before but hadn’t mastered.
Especially the 72 Polymorphic Transformations, an exclusive Divine Power of the Sage School; Nezha had learned it but hadn’t taken much interest, so he hadn’t delved deeply into it.
Sha Chen told him to pick it up again and imparted more complete and profound insights to him.
When Nezha picked up the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the 36 Transformations again, he found them easier to learn than before.
Sha Chen said indifferently, "The Divine Powers I impart to you come with profound insights. Even if you merely copy them by rote, you can still achieve initial mastery."
"As for reaching Great Accomplishment or even Great Perfection, truly mastering them will depend on your own abilities. What I can do is provide guidance; your level of understanding will depend on your own enlightenment."
Nezha was extremely grateful and immediately kowtowed to express his thanks.
Afterward, Sha Chen also taught Nezha the Imperial Gods’ Thunder, along with the complete Tao Te Ching and the full Da Luo Chapter of the Qingwei Scripture.
Many of the Divine Powers and Cultivation Techniques Sha Chen had mastered actually originated from the Three Teachings, and he had particularly deep ties with the Chan Sect.
Nezha, a favored third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, would find it easy to learn these.
But previously, he hadn’t mastered them well, focusing more on his Samadhi True Fire and his Great Divine Power of Three Heads and Six Arms.
It was similar with the Eight-Nine Profound Art; Nezha knew it but wasn’t proficient.
Everyone has their specialty. Nezha had not focused on the Eight-Nine Profound Art, instead following Immortal Taiyi to cultivate the Qingwei Scripture.
He had a passing familiarity with the Chan Sect’s various spells and Divine Powers but was not truly proficient in any of them.
Sha Chen was now imparting Divine Powers and spells to him based on his physical body’s characteristics and his existing abilities.
"You must resume cultivating the Eight-Nine Profound Art. It will strengthen your physical body and also aid your 72 Polymorphic Transformations and 36 Transformations," Sha Chen said.
Nezha nodded, but in his heart, he felt it might be unnecessary.
Seeing his thoughts, Sha Chen said, "The 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the 36 Transformations contain numerous Divine Powers. They are endlessly variable, unfathomable even to ghosts and gods. Although they seem common, few truly master them."
He said sternly, "The vast majority learn only mere fragments, then go out to show off and act mighty, or they pursue other Divine Powers they deem peerlessly strong, forgetting the fundamentals."
"Take you, for example. You specialize in Samadhi True Fire, which is fine. But the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and 36 Transformations also include fire-spewing Divine Powers. If cultivated to Great Accomplishment, wouldn’t they benefit your Samadhi True Fire?"
Nezha furrowed his brows, sinking into deep thought.
Sha Chen continued, "Moreover, others might know only one or two of these transformation techniques and can swagger around with them. If you knew them all, then even if you encountered an opponent you couldn’t defeat, you’d be able to counter their spells rather than just watch helplessly."
"If that’s the case, simply knowing them should suffice; mastery isn’t necessary, is it?" Nezha argued.
Sha Chen explained, "Before reaching the Da Luo realm, your approach would be understandable—focusing on a single Divine Power and increasing your cultivation base. However, after reaching the Da Luo realm, the competition hinges on one’s foundation and comprehension of various Divine Powers."
"I believe that the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the 36 Transformations encompass all major Divine Powers, from which countless others can be derived. Mastering them means grasping the fundamentals of all Divine Powers."
"In combat, even if your opponent isn’t using these exact Divine Powers, your understanding of the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the 36 Transformations will allow you to deduce methods to counter them."
He extended a finger. "Nothing can deviate from its root, and the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the 36 Transformations are the root of all Divine Powers. Once you’ve mastered them, you will be ever-victorious."
Nezha’s eyes lit up. He felt that Sha Chen’s words resonated remarkably with what Patriarch Lord Yuan Shi had once taught. But back then, he hadn’t thought so deeply. Now that his strength had increased and his understanding deepened, his circumstances had changed. After hearing Sha Chen’s words, he etched them into his heart.
Taking this to heart, Nezha naturally became even more diligent in his cultivation.
Sha Chen continued, "Aside from the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the 36 Transformations, you also need to resume practicing the Eight-Nine Profound Art; it will strengthen your physical body."
Nezha accepted this as well.
Sha Chen added, "Furthermore, I sense that you aren’t very familiar with the Chan Sect’s Qingwei Scripture, which is the foundation of the Divine Powers and Cultivation Techniques you cultivate. Imparting it to you will further assist your cultivation."
Nezha was overjoyed, though he also felt a pang of guilt. "Disciple," he said, "it’s not just that I lack understanding, but since my master left the Chan Sect, I’ve had few opportunities to learn its Cultivation Techniques and Divine Powers."
Sha Chen nodded. Indeed, Nezha was also keen to delve into the 72 Polymorphic Transformations, the 36 Transformations, and other Chan Sect Divine Powers.
However, shortly after Nezha became his disciple, Immortal Taiyi had already established his own sect. By convention, without the Patriarch’s approval, Immortal Taiyi couldn’t impart too many Chan Sect Cultivation Techniques and Divine Powers to Nezha.
And after Nezha’s apotheosis during the Divine Enthronement, he rarely cultivated under Immortal Taiyi.
Due to these circumstances, Nezha’s progress had been delayed.
As for the Qingwei Scripture, Nezha wasn’t even familiar with its most fundamental Da Luo Chapter—not due to a lack of aptitude, but from a lack of opportunity.
Sha Chen wasn’t secretive. After all, these techniques were practically commonplace to him, so he imparted them directly to Nezha, telling him to cultivate earnestly.
Once the Qingwei Scripture was imparted to him, Nezha’s cultivation progressed as if divinely aided. His exceptional aptitude led to rapid advancements in his cultivation base.
Sha Chen had Nezha cultivate under the Wutong tree, urging him to root himself in the Innate Earth to absorb its divine energy and the medicinal essence permeating the fields.
This accelerated Nezha’s cultivation even further.
Sha Chen, as was his custom, took out Peaches of Immortality and Ginseng Fruits, giving some to Nezha to help unlock his potential and enhance his innate talent.
Nezha was profoundly grateful, tears streaming down his face.
Sha Chen was truly too kind to him.
Sha Chen said nonchalantly, "You were born with a fire aspect, yet your body is of lotus root, containing the essence of Yi Wood. Cultivating in the Innate Earth and meditating under the Wutong tree will greatly benefit you."
"Once your cultivation is sufficient," he added, "I will also impart to you the Samadhi True Fire and Yuanfeng True Fire to enhance your fire-aspect powers."
Thrilled, Nezha immediately kowtowed his thanks.
But Sha Chen patted his shoulder. "Just focus on your cultivation," he said. "Don’t bite off more than you can chew; progress takes time."
Nezha replied, choking back tears, filled with immense gratitude toward Sha Chen.
Suddenly, Sha Chen frowned. He then slapped Nezha awake from his meditation, nearly causing him to suffer cultivation deviation. Nezha looked at him reproachfully.
"Don’t look at me like that," Sha Chen said. "Even if you truly suffered cultivation deviation, I could still save you."
"I woke you mainly to ask: have you contacted your younger sister, Li Zhenying, recently?"
Nezha shook his head directly. "She’s so unruly, and just a girl. Wouldn’t contacting her just cause trouble?"
His eyes then lit up. "Could it be that the River Lord finds the Cave-dwelling too cold and lonely these days?"
He laughed. "My sister is indeed remarkably beautiful and graceful, with delicate features. She’s only about a thousand years old, with smooth, fair skin, and a figure perfect for childbearing."
He stood up and added with a smile, "If the River Lord fancies her, I’ll act on behalf of my parents and marry my younger sister to you. Even if it’s just as a concubine—no, even as a personal serving girl would be fine. As long as the River Lord is pleased, she can attend to your every need, ensuring your comfort and entertaining you with music and song—none of that would be an issue."
