Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 476 - 470: Many Paths Hidden but Little Buddha Light [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1
The Nine-winged mosquito ultimately complied before Sha Chen, subsequently allowing Sha Chen to assist him with "Pushing Effort Over Blood."
Although he didn’t fully trust Sha Chen, he decided to take the risk for the sake of recovering from his injuries.
As a result, Sha Chen truly helped him with "Pushing Effort Over Blood," enabling him to recover from forty percent of his injuries.
The Nine-winged mosquito was overjoyed and deeply moved.
With such a significant recovery from his injuries, his strength had also returned, and he would become even more formidable.
In this way, he gained some life-saving abilities and would be safer.
After expressing his gratitude with a fist and palm salute, the Nine-winged mosquito wanted Sha Chen to continue aiding him in his recovery. However, Sha Chen declined, citing insufficient mana and vigor, suggesting he should return first and discuss it another time.
The Nine-winged mosquito realized then that Sha Chen was planning to keep a hold on him. By doing so, Sha Chen was threatening him, preventing him from fully recovering. Otherwise, it might not be so easy to make him do things the next time.
Although the Nine-winged mosquito was seething with hatred internally, he dared not fall out with Sha Chen, as he genuinely relied on Sha Chen to heal his injuries.
Moreover, he had agreed to Sha Chen’s terms and owed him favors, meaning he needed to fulfill several tasks for Sha Chen.
Having taken an oath, he was unable to alter it.
Unless he could kill Sha Chen, preventing Sha Chen from assigning him tasks. However, even the Tathagata couldn’t manage this, let alone him. It was impossible. In the future, he had no choice but to faithfully serve Sha Chen. However, he was prepared to shirk his duties if they proved too difficult.
Anyway, having barely recovered from his injuries, it was impossible for him to risk his life for Sha Chen. Although he had a favorable impression of Sha Chen, he felt that Sha Chen’s future would, at most, be on par with his own—both as Peak Quasi-Saints. To estimate Sha Chen’s cultivation as reaching Peak Quasi-Saint was already a very high assessment. Having lived for countless years, the Nine-winged mosquito had seen numerous prodigies dominate their eras; few of them managed to make it to the end. While there weren’t many as monstrous as Sha Chen, there were quite a few who were only slightly less so.
Those prodigies either perished at the hands of stronger individuals or at the hands of the older generation amidst the tides of time. Anyway, they didn’t live long. At least, the Nine-winged mosquito hadn’t seen any of those prodigies survive to the present. He himself was exceedingly talented, though it had taken him a considerable amount of time from birth to become a Da Luo. But among those who became Quasi-Saints, which one was weak? Furthermore, as Peak Quasi-Saints, there were few in the entire world.
The Nine-winged mosquito felt that for Sha Chen to become a Quasi-Saint was already giving him extreme credit; to be stronger was out of the question. Any stronger, and one would have to be a Sub-Sage or Saint. However, becoming a Sub-Sage or Saint required boundless merit and innumerable believers. Sha Chen was lurking in the Flowing Sand River and not venturing outside; becoming a Saint was an absolute impossibility for him. Even becoming a Sub-Sage was wishful thinking.
Because no one had ever heard of someone hiding in a corner, being blessed with merit, and ultimately becoming boundlessly virtuous. Every person of boundless virtue had made significant contributions to the Realm of People or a certain community, especially the protagonists of this era—the Realm of People. Not to mention those Saints; they established the forces of the Realm of People, protected its peace, and created a future for it, thereby gaining merit and ultimately achieving Sainthood through virtue. Even those Sub-Sages possessed illustrious merits.
The Three Saints of the Fire Cloud Palace were among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. They were the forefathers of the Realm of People, their own people, and had made countless contributions to it. As for Hou Tu, who created reincarnation, while not specifically for the Realm of People, she also provided a destination for the countless souls that died throughout the ages. It is said that a Sub-Sage of recent times is Taoist Lu Ya, who became a Sub-Sage for assisting King Wu during the Divine Enthronement war. In addition to that, his past life had accumulated boundless merit, which, through virtue, enabled him to become a Sub-Sage.
Even if Sha Chen’s strength were sufficient, without being blessed with merit, he would forever be unable to become a Sub-Sage, let alone a Saint. It was indeed an overestimation to say he could cultivate to become a Peak Quasi-Saint. For this reason, the Nine-winged mosquito did not overly ingratiate himself with Sha Chen but planned to become friendly. After all, even if Sha Chen truly became a Peak Quasi-Saint, he would probably be as monstrous as the Tathagata. In a one-on-one fight, an ordinary Peak Quasi-Saint like himself wouldn’t stand a chance. Moreover, with the myriad methods at Sha Chen’s disposal, his combat power would definitely be heaven-defying, and it wouldn’t be a problem for him to become a second Tathagata. It was even possible he might be more formidable than the Tathagata.
The Nine-winged mosquito left a communication token with Sha Chen, then took his leave, expressing that he would appear whenever Sha Chen needed him.
After sending the individual away, Lady Di Yong came to Sha Chen’s side.
She poured tea for Sha Chen and said, "Master, this old monster is extremely powerful and exceedingly cunning. Can he be trusted?"
Sha Chen replied indifferently, "Whether he can be trusted, we’ll know once we’ve made use of him. Don’t worry, he will soon be put to use."
Upon hearing this, Lady Di Yong smiled coquettishly, saying, "Master is truly formidable, manipulating these long-established old monsters as you please."
Sha Chen pushed her away with one hand, saying, "Get away from me. You’re trying to toy with me in the palm of your hand, aren’t you?"
Lady Di Yong retracted her hand, feeling slightly disappointed.
The ’beast’ was quite to her liking, but Master reacted too quickly.
Sha Chen asked Lady Di Yong to continue her cultivation, striving for an early advancement and greater strength.
He too intensified his cultivation, aiming to either break through to become a High-rank Quasi Saint or enhance his Primordial Spirit as soon as possible.
Anyway, something had to improve.
But before that, he planned to perfect the spatial secret techniques and "Pushing Effort Over Blood" to Great Accomplishment, before cultivating his body and augmenting his mana.
Time flowed like water.
Inside the cave, everyone earnestly pursued their cultivation, each one holding their breath, striving to become even stronger.
「At that moment.」
The news of the Tathagata’s failed invasion of the cave spread throughout the Three Realms, causing widespread astonishment.
However, others were shocked, realizing that if even the Tathagata had failed in person, there was likely no one left in the heavens or earth who could threaten Sha Chen.
The Flowing Sand River Cave might well be the safest place in the world now.
「Tushita Palace.」
Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad was in the midst of alchemy. He frowned and said, "To think that even the Tathagata has failed. It seems the Flowing Sand River is indeed impregnable; only my own intervention will suffice.
"Yet, it is not convenient for me to act on this matter personally. Besides, I hold Sha Chen in high esteem and do not wish to see him join Buddhism lightly."
He then murmured softly, "The cataclysm of the Journey to the West is about to begin, and not everything has fallen into place; it seems impossible to close this Chapter yet."
"Hmm?"
Lord Lao Zi suddenly looked towards the south and said, "The ninth generation is finally going to seek the scriptures. This generation should be able to go much further. I don’t know why, but I always feel that there’s something different about this ninth generation. He has less of a Buddha’s aura about him but possesses a much richer Daoist essence."
