Chapter 135: Chapter 129: Lingxiao Palace Debates the Annihilation of the Flowing Sand River【Request for Subscription】_1
Red Boy was indeed filial. He always considered Sha Chen’s needs, and Sha Chen did not disappoint him, imparting to him two Divine Powers and Dao Techniques. He even helped him refine the Samadhi True Fire.
The commotion caused by Immortal Ruyi outside eventually ceased, and in the end, he left. He simply couldn’t breach the Formation of the Flowing Sand River Cave, and he left with his disciples, becoming a laughingstock.
The gods, witnessing this outcome, all wore complicated expressions and simultaneously shook their heads in secret.
"Where did the Great General for Folding the Curtain find such a dwelling? It’s unbreakably fortified."
"Was he there to suffer hardships? With such an unbreakable defense, who knows what he is up to inside."
"It’s said that even the Heavenly Court can’t get in. Whether he is being punished is unknown."
Many were engaged in heated discussions. This matter also reached the ears of many bigwigs in the Heavenly Court, causing quite a stir.
The Jade Emperor, furious as thunder, said, "My subjects have failed to deal with Juanlian and chatter about it. Juanlian hides in the Flowing Sand River, and the Heavenly Court can’t even send someone to inspect. Where does that leave the dignity of my Heavenly Court?"
BANG!
He slammed the table and rose, causing all the assembled gods to tremble with fear. This time, he wasn’t only facing Li Changgeng alone but had summoned his ministers to the Lingxiao Palace. Ordinarily, Sha Chen wouldn’t have been worth discussing at the Lingxiao Palace. But one of the ministers, a Heavenly Master, brought up the gods’ discussions, and then the others followed suit. They whispered to one another, engaged in fervent discussion. After listening to the reports, the Jade Emperor erupted in rage.
Li Changgeng, among the ministers, made himself as inconspicuous as a quail, an act of humility that even Sha Chen would feel ashamed not to match. The Jade Emperor glanced at him and knew Li Changgeng was unreliable; in fact, he was becoming more and more disappointed in him. Over a hundred years had passed, and yet he still couldn’t handle Sha Chen. What good was he!?
Among the celestial assembly, a low-ranking Great General, Mighty Miracle God, stepped forth and said, "Your Majesty, I wish to relieve your worries. I will level the Flowing Sand River to the ground and drag Sha Chen from his cave to face his crimes."
The gods praised him one after another. Li Changgeng, on the other hand, was disdainful and subtly shook his head, not deigning to deflate the other’s confidence.
The Jade Emperor said, "Your enthusiasm is enough."
Mighty Miracle God, basking in the praises of the celestial crowd, was caught off guard by the Jade Emperor’s response and suddenly felt perplexed. What did ’enthusiasm is enough’ mean!? Could it be the Jade Emperor thought he wasn’t capable? Mighty Miracle God refused to accept this.
The Demon Subduing and Magic Suppressing Grand Marshal Li Jing said, "Mighty Miracle God, His Majesty is right. Your enthusiasm alone is laudable."
Mighty Miracle God, dissatisfied, responded, "Why? In the past, I accompanied Great General Nezha to the Flowing Sand River. Although the cave’s defenses were robust, I am confident that I can break through." He was quite assured of himself because, back then, Sha Chen hadn’t dared to show his face.
Li Jing said, "Confidence is good, but sometimes, confidence alone is not enough. If the Will-following Demon Technique, brother to the Bull Demon King, couldn’t break it, how do you compare to him?"
Mighty Miracle God hesitated for a moment, intending to contest, but eventually, he retreated in dejection. He seemed to have forgotten that detail. Yet in his heart, he was unconvinced. Though Immortal Ruyi’s Mana and Cultivation were above his, he had his own specialty. He was the Mighty Miracle God, exceptionally strong, and armed with the Heavenly Court’s golden spear and silver mace; breaching some minor general’s Formation would be a piece of cake, wouldn’t it?
"The Grand Marshal really overestimates that mere General for Folding the Curtain. He’s nothing but a minor escort. The Formation he’s set up, what could it possibly amount to?" A Heavenly Master stepped forward from the crowd, none other than the Thunder Department’s Celestial God, Taoist Master Gou, known among mortals as the Thunder God.
As Taoist Master Gou spoke up, the other celestial beings nodded and echoed his sentiments. It wasn’t that they were opposing Li Jing, but by their understanding, the Great General for Folding the Curtain was merely an escort, nothing more. What ability could he possibly possess that would not only frustrate Immortal Ruyi but also thwart the Heavenly Court’s efforts!? Mighty Miracle God specialized in his craft; perhaps he could breach the defense.
Li Jing shook his head and said, "Although I have never been to the Flowing Sand River, my son Nezha told me upon his return last time that the Formation is not simple and certainly can’t be unraveled easily."
Taoist Master Gou asked, "Has General Nezha tried to break the Formation?"
All the celestial beings looked towards the preoccupied Nezha. Nezha, startled, stepped forth with a prompt from Li Jing’s cough, first bowing to the Jade Emperor before saluting the crowd. Then, he shook his head.
Taoist Master Gou said, "If Great General Nezha hasn’t tried, how can we know it won’t work? True knowledge comes from practice. Next time the Great General goes there, he may break the Formation. I still have great faith in the Great General."
All the gods nodded in agreement, each self-assured and arrogant. Considering the General for Folding the Curtain merely that, surely Nezha, with his illustrious reputation, could not fail to breach the Formation? After all, it was only hearsay and a mere glance that led them to believe such. Perhaps it was all for show!?
The gods looked down upon Sha Chen’s Formation and even more so upon Sha Chen himself.
Li Changgeng privately shook his head. These people still regarded Sha Chen with the same old perspective, truly oblivious. He had already launched two assaults on the Flowing Sand River, but both were in vain. He knew best the resilience of the Flowing Sand River Cave—it truly was impenetrable; even his fierce Swordsmanship couldn’t break through. In the entire Lingxiao Palace, how many could rival him!?
The Jade Emperor said, "Enough. I don’t care how you do it. The Flowing Sand River doesn’t need a cave. It’s a place for exile." Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed the court.
The celestial beings filed out one by one, then milled about, discussing and dissecting the implications of the Jade Emperor’s words.
Nevertheless, most of them were completely indifferent, not taking the matter to heart at all. They would not consider the situation of a demoted general, especially when that demoted general was merely the nominal General for Folding the Curtain! The General for Folding the Curtain served as an entourage general for the Jade Emperor, just like the ceremonial generals of emperors and kings in the mortal world, such as the Gourd General—all for show. With bulging muscles, towering and imposing, their presence could be frightening, but it was all for intimidation. Like the honor guards of future generations, whose time was all spent on pageantry, could their actual combat abilities ever match those of warriors who trained daily in military skills? Sha Chen’s previous position was even more pitiable than an honor guard; being the General for Folding the Curtain was hardly different from being a stableman or a carter. This was why the immortals looked down on him and also why Sha Chen was reluctant to return to the Heavenly Court. Born free, why be subservient to others?
The celestial families paid no heed to these considerations. Busy with a myriad of tasks every day, where would they find the time to concern themselves with a demoted general from the Flowing Sand River?
However, there were those who took this matter to heart: those celestial beings who tried to divine the Emperor’s intentions, their minds racing. They inquired about Sha Chen’s situation from all quarters, wishing to understand this demoted general. Although they still felt the demoted general was insignificant, since the Jade Emperor had brought the matter to the Lingxiao Palace, they guessed the demoted general must be somewhat remarkable.
More people, however, gathered around Li Jing and his son, chattering and questioning them, but they couldn’t find out the truth. Li Jing was a man who cared about his reputation, and since he had hedged his bets everywhere, it was ultimately a matter of disgrace. Therefore, he did not mention a word about Muzha being flung away by Sha Chen and the failed assault on the Flowing Sand River, acting as if it had never happened. Nezha indeed did not attack the Flowing Sand River. He had demanded that Sha Chen open up, but to no avail, so he took his troops and left. Thus, the celestial families questioned in vain.
Yet, they also learned from Li Jing and his son that the Flowing Sand River was indeed easy to defend but hard to attack, which was a headache. Moreover, with the Jade Emperor bringing the matter to the Lingxiao Palace and thundering about it, declaring the Flowing Sand River should not harbor a cave abode. They all felt that, no matter how difficult the Flowing Sand River was to conquer, it had to be taken. A place for banishment should just be a place for banishment. Now it’s become a cave abode? What’s next, are you going to establish a sect!?
The celestial families all shared the urgency of the Heavenly Court; each planned to return and carefully devise a plan. If they could help the Jade Emperor settle this matter, perhaps they could win his praise and reward.
Feeling the crisis, Li Jing said, "Nezha, you sought your master, Immortal Taiyi, a few days ago. Did he give you any instructions?"
Nezha replied, "I did not seek him out for this matter."
Li Jing said angrily, "Didn’t I tell you to ask for his help?"
Nezha replied, "It’s a trifling matter, not worth troubling Master over."
Li Jing snorted. "Once it involves the celestial family, it’s no longer a trifling matter. And now that His Majesty has brought this to the Lingxiao Palace for discussion, the celestial families are sure to be in a rush. If we do not make a move soon, others will seize the opportunity."
Nezha said, "Let others deal with this troublesome matter then."
Li Jing said, "Foolish! Can we afford to let go of the chance for merit?" Then he added, "I don’t care. Find a way to breach the Flowing Sand River’s cave. But remember not to provoke him—after all, he is a scripture pilgrim. As long as he has not been discarded by Buddhism, he can still be won over."
Nezha said, "I cannot breach it."
Li Jing said, "You haven’t even tried."
Nezha said, "I can tell the Formation won’t be easy to breach."
Li Jing said, "Difficult does not mean impossible. You should give it a try. Furthermore, now that your Cultivation has advanced, you are no less capable than your elder brother and can attempt to break the Formation." Then, without giving Nezha a chance to retort, he walked away.
In the crowd, Li Changgeng sighed. Stroking his beard, he murmured, This is troublesome. His Majesty bringing this matter for deliberation in the Lingxiao Palace signifies his great disappointment in me. He was very troubled. Sha Chen, what exactly do you want? For your sake, how many of my hairs have turned white? He touched his white hair, filled with silent resentment.
「Flowing Sand River.」
Sha Chen was unaware that the Heavenly Court had specially deliberated on the matter because of the disturbances Immortal Ruyi caused in the Flowing Sand River. And that the Jade Emperor had decreed the Flowing Sand River needed no cave abode. A place for banishment should look like a place for banishment. He was here for exile, not for enjoyment. If he knew, he would surely cry foul. Immortal Ruyi was the one causing trouble! He was the one truly suffering!
As for Red Boy, half a month after Immortal Ruyi’s departure, and after Sha Chen had triple-checked that no one was observing, Sha Chen allowed him to leave. Red Boy lived up to expectations, finding Immortal Ruyi and selling Sha Chen’s Elixirs to him for three times the price.
As for Sha Chen, he had gained many benefits from this Alchemy session and had produced all the Elixirs needed for his Cultivation. He planned to seize this opportunity to enhance his Cultivation, striving to step into the Da Luo Golden Immortal Realm as soon as possible.
Nevertheless, before that, he first extracted the Giant Que Sword he had received as a reward and dedicated some time to Refining it. After Refining it, just as he was about to devise a Swordsmanship style that complemented the Giant Que Sword, someone knocked on his door again.
Sha Chen frowned deeply. He hated interruptions the most.
However, the visitor this time was somewhat special, and for a moment, he was unsure how to respond.
"General for Folding the Curtain, I am Chang E, the Tai Yin Star Monarch of the Guanghan Palace. Could I ask you, General, to return my rabbit to me?"