Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years

Chapter 347 - 341: Beating Up Jiang Ziya【Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets】_1

"The system has detected that the Grand Destiny Carrier, Jiang Ziya, seeks an audience with you. You have the following choices.""Choice one: Agree to meet Jiang Ziya in person and receive the reward [Zhou Tian’s Arithmetic]. Zhou Tian’s Arithmetic: A divination Divine Power created by the Human King Fuxi, capable of deducing the laws governing the affairs of all living beings in the world."

"Choice two: Refuse to pay attention to Jiang Ziya and receive the reward [Jade Pure Scripture: Quasi-Saint Chapter]. Jade Pure Scripture: Quasi-Saint Chapter: Insights written down by Lord Yuan Shi after attaining sainthood, concerning the experiences of a Quasi-Saint."

Looking at the options, Sha Chen was momentarily stunned.

Meeting Jiang Ziya would grant him Zhou Tian’s Arithmetic? Wasn’t that too good to be true? Zhou Tian’s Arithmetic could help seek good fortune and avoid disaster, calculate all things under heaven, and was truly extraordinary. It could also deduce the complete story from the slightest of clues, quite magical indeed.

It’s said that Tathagata Buddha could see the past and future by merely closing his eyes, which was amazing. In fact, he was calculating in secret, deducing the origins and outcomes based on certain events.

Such a divination Divine Power seemed to be possessed by many great figures, but masters of it were few and far between. Those who had mastered a specialized divination Divine Power were as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns. If one could achieve the kind of divination Divine Power that Tathagata Buddha had—closing and then reopening the eyes to know the affairs of the world—such individuals would be exceedingly rare.

Sha Chen had long desired such a divination Divine Power, but an opportunity had never arisen. If he possessed such Divine Power, truly, he wouldn’t need to step outside his door to know the affairs of the world.

As for the Jade Pure Scripture: Quasi-Saint Chapter, he already had it, derived from the Wordless Heavenly Scripture. It really wasn’t necessary to waste this option.

But in his heart, Sha Chen didn’t want to meet Jiang Ziya. After all, he didn’t meet just anyone. Even though Jiang Ziya was a key figure in the Divine Enthronement, Divine Enthronement was over. Jiang Ziya’s mission was finished, and with his cultivation and strength, he really wasn’t worth much attention. There was no need to meet him. But for the sake of the reward, Sha Chen decided to meet him once.

After hesitating for a moment, Sha Chen opened the gates of the Flowing Sand River and appeared outside, poking half of his body out from the river.

He looked at Jiang Ziya standing on the river’s surface, his gaze indifferent, and said, "You are Mr. Fei Xiong, Jiang Ziya?"

Jiang Ziya smiled and nodded, also quite surprised and incredulous. The rumors said that Sha Chen was very proud, hiding in the Flowing Sand River and refusing to meet anyone. He was also very cautious and careful. Not just anyone could see him. Jiang Ziya hadn’t had much confidence that Sha Chen would come out to meet him. He never expected that after calling out a few times, Sha Chen would actually emerge. And he could tell that this wasn’t an illusory shadow of Sha Chen; his true body had appeared. This made him even more astonished, as well as somewhat shocked and puzzled.

He said, "I didn’t expect the Master of the River would come out to meet this old man. It truly honors me greatly."

Sha Chen replied, "Alright, I’ve seen you now. If you have anything to say, say it quickly. I’m going back once you’re done."

He glanced left and right, observing his surroundings. He noticed there was no one else around, although some Roaming Gods passed through the sky, primarily patrolling this territory. They usually stayed above and never dared to come down. If Sha Chen wished, he could annihilate all of them with a single breath.

Jiang Ziya said, "This old man does indeed have some matters I would like to discuss with the Master of the River, but it seems somewhat inappropriate to speak of them out here. I wonder if the Master of the River would permit me to enter so we could talk in detail?"

Sha Chen replied, "There’s no need for that. Just speak."

Jiang Ziya said, "Some matters are not suitable for discussion in such a public place. If we enter the Flowing Sand River, this old man will naturally explain everything to you."

Sha Chen chuckled. "If you’re unwilling to speak, then I’ll be going back."

Then he opened the door again and turned to enter the Flowing Sand River, paying Jiang Ziya no further heed.

Jiang Ziya was startled and rushed forward, saying, "Wait, Master of the River, please wait a moment!"

But before he could get close, Sha Chen had already struck out with his palm. Divine Power condensed in his palm, sending Jiang Ziya flying.

SMACK!

Jiang Ziya was sent flying out of sight.

「Tens of thousands of miles away」

Only then did he manage to stop, his body enveloped in golden light, but his hair was disheveled, and he looked extremely bedraggled. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes flashing with shock.

GASP!

Jiang Ziya exclaimed in shock, "How powerful! His physical body alone, without using any cultivation, was enough to send me flying! Truly remarkable. That physique must have already reached the Great Perfection of the Da Luo Dharmakaya."

However, he was mistaken. Sha Chen had long possessed the Primeval Chaos Law Body.

Jiang Ziya was terrified, his scalp tingling with profound shock. "It’s fortunate he showed mercy; otherwise, that one palm strike could have killed me."

Thinking of this, Jiang Ziya felt both shaken and incredulous. After all, he was a Daluo Golden Immortal, albeit only at the early stage. Still, he could roam freely under the heavens. Yet, he had been almost killed by a casual palm strike from Sha Chen at the Flowing Sand River. It was only because Sha Chen had shown mercy that he escaped with his life. The gap in power was too vast, making it hard for him to accept and leaving him incredulous and shaken.

Frowning slightly, Jiang Ziya murmured, "The rumors seem to be true. The former Great General for Folding the Curtain must have encountered a tremendous opportunity, and his strength subsequently soared."

"When he appeared just now, he seemed ordinary, yet he possessed overwhelming power. It’s also rumored his mana has long since reached the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, and his physical body is so formidable; he must have encountered a heaven-sent opportunity. That opportunity, I surmise, lies within the Flowing Sand River."

"Word of him has already spread to the Chan Sect, and my fellow disciples have discussed him at length. Especially since it’s said he has close dealings with people from the Chan Sect, and he even allowed San Xiao to enter the Flowing Sand River."

Jiang Ziya muttered to himself, "All clues point to something, yet upon reaching the Flowing Sand River, divine foreknowledge is obscured. This is definitely not simple. Previously, during the Divine Enthronement catastrophe, the Western Sect lent assistance. This time, it’s the calamity of the Journey to the West. We cannot lend aid, but we must prevent it from being destroyed."

It turned out that although Jiang Ziya was a disciple of Lord Yuan Shi, his views did not entirely align with many within the Chan Sect. He loved peace and preferred stability. He cared little for the sectarian rivalry between the Chan Sect and Buddhism, their philosophical conflicts, or the struggle for dominance over the Realm of People. All he desired was for the Three Realms to be tranquil and the Realm of People to thrive. Most importantly, he believed in acting in accordance with Heaven’s will.

During the Divine Enthronement catastrophe, he acted in accordance with Heaven’s will. Heaven decreed that King Wu should fight King Zhou. Since the Sect of Interpretation supported the tyrant, he had to battle both the Sect of Interpretation and King Zhou.

And he had divined the future calamity of the Journey to the West. It was an unstoppable and immensely beneficial event that would rid the path of many demons, subduing them along the way. Various powers would reap benefits from it, and peace would prevail across the land. This was a good thing, and he felt obligated to support it. Even if his fellow disciples sought to disrupt the Journey to the West and prevent Buddhism from growing stronger, he felt their actions were wrong.

The Journey to the West was inevitable because it was Heaven’s will, and Heaven’s will must not be defied. To defy Heaven’s will would surely bring divine punishment and would also lead to chaos throughout the land. Loving peace as he did, he would naturally not allow such chaos and would do everything possible to maintain stability.

However, he knew his fellow disciples’ intentions, so he didn’t try to dissuade them. Instead, he sought ways to help Buddhism and ensure the task was accomplished. Yet, since Jiang Ziya was, after all, a second-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, he would not openly assist Buddhism; he would only aid them clandestinely.

His current visit to find Sha Chen was actually to persuade Sha Chen not to make things difficult for Buddhism and instead comply with Heaven’s will. It was predestined that Sha Chen should embark on the Journey to the West; remaining in the Flowing Sand River was inappropriate!

Jiang Ziya thought it over and decided not to give up. Thus, he once again rode a cloud back to the Flowing Sand River and began shouting from outside.

Inside the Flowing Sand River, Sha Chen frowned. This time, he really didn’t want to see Jiang Ziya! Because after meeting him once, he had already received his reward. Zhou Tian’s Arithmetic was now in his possession; why would he have any time to bother with Jiang Ziya? He could continue his secluded cultivation, increasing his power and comprehending Divine Powers. Wouldn’t that be far better?

Sha Chen took out Zhou Tian’s Arithmetic and began to study and comprehend it. For three days and nights, he was immersed in cultivation and comprehension. This Divine Power was vast and profound. Sha Chen had not found learning the 36 Transformations and the 72 Polymorphic Transformations this arduous.

Another month passed. Sha Chen discovered that he had merely scratched the surface of this power. Only after another three months of training did he finally grasp the basics. This Divine Power was the most recent one he had managed to gain an initial understanding of. This revelation was both shocking and unbelievable for Sha Chen, but mostly, it was a delightful surprise.

He tried to use the Wordless Heavenly Scripture to derive a more perfect aspect and discovered that there was indeed more: following Zhou Tian’s Arithmetic was the Zhou Tian Xingchen Technique. Sha Chen hastily began to practice, cultivating the complete Zhou Tian Xingchen Technique.

Imperceptibly, time passed.

Sha Chen furrowed his brow and opened his eyes, looking toward the entrance of the Flowing Sand River Cave. There, Jiang Ziya stood with the Beat God Whip at the doorway.

He had actually made it inside.

At that moment, Jiang Ziya was eyeing Sha Chen cautiously and with concern, holding the Beat God Whip defensively.

Sha Chen asked with a frown, "How did you get in?"

He had been so engrossed in his cultivation that although he had been aware of Jiang Ziya shouting and causing a commotion outside, he hadn’t paid it any mind. He hadn’t thought Jiang Ziya could get inside. But to his surprise, Jiang Ziya was here.

Jiang Ziya stroked his beard and said, "Both the Black Tortoise Armor and the Apricot Yellow Flag of Wuji are possessions of the Chan Sect. With this Beat God Whip in my hand, I hold the master key to all the Chan Sect’s mechanisms and vital locations. There’s nowhere in the world I can’t go." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novelꜰire.net

Sha Chen looked at the Beat God Whip, which was indeed radiating light. He nodded and said, "I underestimated you. Though you are old and weak, your Beat God Whip is indeed extraordinary."

Jiang Ziya asked, "Do you intend to seize my Beat God Whip?" As he spoke, he clutched the Beat God Whip and took half a step back.

Sha Chen retorted, "Since you’ve entered, why step back?"

Jiang Ziya thought for a moment, found it reasonable, and then straightened up, advancing toward Sha Chen. As he walked, rays of light lit up on the ground.

Sha Chen watched, his expression unchanging. The places where the light shone indicated that Formations had been activated. He had set up a vast number of Formations, including the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation and The Eight Formations. Were they completely ineffective against Jiang Ziya!?

Sha Chen knitted his brows. With a serious tone, he asked, "Does the Beat God Whip also affect Formations?"

Jiang Ziya replied, "The Eight Gates Heavenly Lock Formation and The Eight Formations are not possessions of the Chan Sect; the Beat God Whip has no effect on them. However, I understand all these Formations and know their weaknesses."

By now, he had reached Sha Chen.

Sha Chen commented, "Interesting. You entered, yet you are not afraid you may never leave?"