Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 499 - 493: Zhenyuanzi Takes Action [Seeking Subscriptions, Seeking Monthly Pass]_1
Jin Chanzi had a defiant look on his face.
"I’ve long known you were a traitorous disciple," he said to Jinzha. "Bah! You are no longer a disciple of mine. You are a thief, a black-hearted scoundrel."
"If that is truly the case, you deserve to die a thousand deaths," he sneered. "The moment I decided to undertake the Journey to the West, I anticipated dying in a foreign land. I just never imagined it would be at the hands of a thief like you."
He craned his neck forward and approached. "Today, you two are plotting to murder me. Even as a ghost, I will report this to the Buddha and have you both punished!"
Old Turtle and Jinzha were caught in a dilemma.
They hadn’t anticipated Jin Chanzi would cut off their escape route with his words.
Now truly in a bind, they had no idea how to proceed or handle the matter.
Because of this, Old Turtle dared not sink any further, though the water had already risen above their ankles.
Jinzha raised the Demon-subduing Power Staff but hesitated to strike.
Jin Chanzi, however, was fearless. He fixed his gaze on Jinzha and taunted, "If you have the guts, then kill me! Hmph, I am a monk. I will never submit, nor will I ever be afraid!"
He then brought his hands together and said, "Amitabha."
At that moment, Tianpeng, who had been calling out from the water, suddenly soared into the air. Grabbing his Nine-Tooth Rake, he bellowed, "So, you two are thieves! You’ve deceived me too!"
"Master, rest assured! Your disciple won’t let them harm a hair on your head! Ahhh, die, you scoundrels!"
Jin Chanzi glanced at Tianpeng, utterly stunned.
He was so incensed he felt he could scold Tianpeng to death; his strategy had been to provoke Jinzha, to ignite conflict, and to seek his own demise. He knew Jinzha and the others wanted him to die here so they could blame it on Sha Chen’s karmic obstacles. Thus, he had played along, deliberately seeking death by enraging Jinzha and Old Turtle, goading them into killing him. He never expected Tianpeng to figure it out and rush to his defense.
He was so infuriated he nearly transmitted a message to Tianpeng. However, he dared not, for his Divine Consciousness was powerful, and he always sensed a strong presence watching him.
The feeling was intense, so he refrained from acting recklessly.
In truth, his senses hadn’t deceived him; that powerful presence was Zhenyuanzi.
With Tianpeng’s arrival, Jinzha and Old Turtle felt as if they’d received a stay of execution. They stopped targeting Jin Chanzi and turned their combined assault on Tianpeng.
It had to be said, Tianpeng’s strength was formidable.
Having previously received Sha Chen’s guidance, along with abundant resources and various gifts, he had been among the first to reach the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Although he was currently only at the Middle Level of Daluo Golden Immortal, not yet high-level, he was still capable of taking on both Jinzha and Old Turtle simultaneously.
After all, the spells and Divine Powers he wielded were mighty, and his strength was terrifying.
He fought with reckless abandon, leaving Jinzha and Old Turtle utterly dismayed.
The Turtle Immortal sank into the Flowing Sand River, his life extinguished. Meanwhile, Old Turtle’s shell was pierced by Tianpeng, and his life force was rapidly ebbing away.
SPLASH! He, too, fell into the Flowing Sand River.
Jinzha and Tianpeng were locked in a fierce battle. Although Tianpeng had the upper hand, at their level of combat, a clear victor was unlikely to emerge anytime soon.
As for Jin Chanzi, he sank directly into the Flowing Sand River.
Engrossed in their fight, Jinzha and Tianpeng paid him no heed, allowing him to descend.
Tianpeng grew anxious, wanting to save his master.
Jinzha, however, held him back, preventing him from performing the rescue.
Meanwhile, from parts unknown, a large horde of demons, ghosts, and other malevolent spirits appeared, assisting Jinzha in surrounding Tianpeng.
Tianpeng roared, "Jinzha, you dare collude with demons! This is outrageous!"
Jinzha, his identity exposed, wasn’t angered. He merely snorted coldly, "These demons are clearly here for you. They must be enemies you’ve provoked. Don’t try to slander me."
Tianpeng retorted, "Jin Chanzi is your senior brother, and he is the scripture pilgrim! It would have been one thing if you had merely failed to escort him on the Journey to the West, but you even plotted his murder! I will definitely bring this matter before the Buddha!"
Jinzha sneered, though his heart was filled with immense frustration.
He was clearly following the Buddha’s orders, this instance being no exception, yet he couldn’t defend himself. He couldn’t possibly tell Tianpeng that it wasn’t he, but the Buddha, who wanted Jin Chanzi dead. If he uttered such words, he would instantly be cast into the boundless hell, never to escape.
Tianpeng, in fact, was aware of Buddhism’s tactics. Sha Chen had long ago revealed its true nature to him.
Having endured so much for so long, he himself had witnessed Buddhism’s attempts to make him fall from grace and become dependent on others, luring him into traps and even betraying him on several occasions.
This time, he had journeyed overseas and encountered Zhenyuanzi. He’d initially thought Zhenyuanzi was an ally, only to be captured by him instead.
He had also seen members of Buddhism colluding with Zhenyuanzi, probing him for information about the Flowing Sand River.
Through this, he had come to see the true face of Buddhism.
He also recognized Zhenyuanzi’s treachery.
Zhenyuanzi, who was in Tianpeng’s sea of consciousness, remained silent, but he was constantly monitoring the drowning Jin Chanzi.
Jinzha desperately tried to stop Tianpeng from rescuing Jin Chanzi. Numerous demons joined forces to attack Tianpeng, but their movements were unnatural, as if they were being controlled.
They were all on the verge of collapse, reluctant to fight, yet compelled to do so.
Tianpeng knew these demons were likely threatened by Buddhism, or perhaps controlled by some of Buddhism’s Auspicious Beasts.
Many great Buddhas in Buddhism had mounts, a lot of which had gained experience in the mortal realm, transforming into demons and amassing large followings.
For example, the lion of The Goddess of Mercy had descended to the mortal realm long ago to commit evil, even attempting to threaten Sha Chen once.
It, too, commanded many demons, and among Tianpeng’s attackers were subordinates of that Jinmaohou.
Beyond that, there were minions of other great Buddhas. Of course, if Golden Winged Dapeng, the Green-haired Lion, and the Six-toothed White Elephant hadn’t defected, they too would have rallied an incredibly powerful demonic force.
In the Journey to the West, those three demonic factions were the most powerful.
Tianpeng declared, "Jinzha, if you don’t let me save Jin Chanzi, you’ll be a sinner of Buddhism! Let’s see how you’ll explain yourself to the Buddha!"
Jinzha countered, "Clearly, I am the one trying to save him, and you are obstructing me! Hmph, you are the enemy of Buddhism!"
The two went back and forth, each hindering the other. Tianpeng’s attempt to rescue Jin Chanzi was also a feint, as he understood the situation.
Jin Chanzi sank deeper and deeper into the Flowing Sand River. Yet, he wasn’t dead, nor did he use any spells.
Instead, he held his breath and allowed himself to sink.
He felt a force tugging at him, trying to pull him straight down into the depths below.
Suddenly, a huge void appeared at the bottom of the river. Water gushed into it, and Jin Chanzi was about to be swallowed.
A flash of fire suddenly shot from Tianpeng’s body, diving into the Flowing Sand River and streaking towards the void.
"Old Sha, be careful! That’s Zhenyuanzi, the old scoundrel!" Tianpeng suddenly yelled. Zhenyuanzi had already departed from his sea of consciousness.
He hurriedly sealed off his sea of consciousness. As long as he didn’t die, Zhenyuanzi wouldn’t be able to breach it again.
Jinzha was momentarily stunned, not expecting Zhenyuanzi’s involvement. Then, understanding dawned.
That must be the other party the Buddha had mentioned.
With Zhenyuanzi making a move, the outcome was all but certain.
After all, this was Zhenyuanzi.
However, the gates of the Flowing Sand River Cave hadn’t opened. What good would Zhenyuanzi’s direct descent do? He surely couldn’t break through the Cave’s gates.
His Divine Consciousness swept downward, and he saw a massive space-time portal before the gates of the Flowing Sand River Cave.
He was shocked.
"A Space-Time Gate? Can Sha Chen also wield spatial power!?"
"HISS! No wonder the Buddha couldn’t enter the Flowing Sand River. It turns out Sha Chen possesses spatial power!"
