Chapter 115: Chapter 114: Parting the Clouds and Astonishing the Immortals【4000 words, 8th update, seeking subscription】_1
Li Changgeng and the other immortals froze in midair, completely stunned. They had thought Sha Chen was severely burned, perhaps even to death. But as it turned out, he hadn’t died. Instead, he unleashed a terrifying golden light that dispersed the clouds and brought back the sun, restoring the Flowing Sand River to its original state. It was truly horrifying.
Li Changgeng said expressionlessly, "It seems the medicine has been saved." Then, with a cold snort, he flung his sleeves and departed.
The Mighty Miracle God, who was on duty at the Ninth Heaven Southern Heaven Gate, also found the scene incredibly shocking. Such powerful golden light, such dazzling radiance! How can he be so strong? If he’s this strong, why didn’t he dare to confront me before? He must have used a Magical Tool. If he fought me head-on, he certainly wouldn’t be my match. I am already at the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm; how could he possibly be my opponent? The Mighty Miracle God sneered inwardly.
The drastic change in the Flowing Sand River irritated him, and he felt a sense of unease. But he was still confident.
As the Flowing Sand River returned to its original state, the immortals dispersed, but their discussions about Sha Chen only intensified.
Sha Chen actually hadn’t wanted to reveal himself so quickly, as it was too astonishing and would undoubtedly attract criticism. However, with the Flowing Sand River dried up and barren, he felt even less secure. So, he dispersed the clouds and restored the river, using the water to create a barrier between himself and the outside world. His sense of security returned.
As for exposing his own strength, he hadn’t fully done so because he had used the Sweeping Cloud Robe to dispel the clouds and reveal the sun. This Magical Tool was indeed extraordinary, containing infinite Divine Power and the ability to part the clouds and let the sun shine through. It was like Tai Ji, using minimal force to move great weights; once utilized, it could unleash overwhelming power capable of crushing enemies.
Sha Chen fiddled with it for a while, then put it away carefully for future use. He chose not to go out himself, making the Magical Tool of little direct use to him, but it could be given to his clones or followers. When they went out to fight on his behalf, the stronger they were, the more resources they could bring back.
Red Boy won’t let this go easily after leaving this time, Sha Chen muttered to himself. And if he continues to harass me and I ignore it, that’s ultimately not a solution. Well, next time he comes, if it doesn’t attract too much attention, I’ll show him a thing or two to make him retreat.
He didn’t want to start a conflict with Red Boy. When fewer people were around, he would reveal his cultivation level and aura. Upon seeing how advanced he was, Red Boy would likely leave immediately. Then all would be well. If that didn’t work, he would give Red Boy an unforgettable lesson, which would probably instill fear in him and prevent him from returning.
After Red Boy left the Flowing Sand River and heard that Sha Chen had dispersed the clouds and restored the river to its original state, he was furious. "That furry god hid for so long, I thought he was dead!" he exclaimed. "I’ll go back and teach him a lesson."
He was about to return when one of his subordinates found him, having navigated through the mists. "Your Majesty, the Old Great King summons you."
Red Boy asked, "What does he want with me?"
The subordinate replied, "This lowly one does not know."
Red Boy snorted. "That spares that furry god for now. I’ll let him off this time. Come on, follow me back."
And with that, he headed toward the Flaming Mountain.
「Elsewhere」
On the shores of the East Sea, Sha Chen’s clone, Li Bai, was purchasing food and supplies to take to Sun Wukong.
He hadn’t seen Sun Wukong for over a decade. This was because Sun Wukong had been unusually well-behaved lately, and the Heavenly Court, unaccustomed to this, was keeping a tighter watch.
Sun Wukong’s good behavior was mainly due to his rapid progress in Cultivation after revising his Cultivation Technique; he was quickly approaching the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. The Immortal Pills within him and the various heavenly treasures he had stealthily consumed were still not fully assimilated, much to everyone’s envy.
As a result, he threw himself into Cultivation. The copper pellets and molten iron he was fed under Five Finger Mountain had accumulated to the point where one could start a steel mill. The local Earth God was troubled by this but dared not get close to investigate what was happening.
He could only report the matter to the Heavenly Court. After an emissary they sent was killed by Sun Wukong, they no longer dared to approach. Then, the matter reached Lingjiu Mountain.
Buddhism took it very seriously, sending people overnight to investigate. They discovered that Sun Wukong seemed to have changed completely. He was no longer the same—not the split personality of before who would curse the heavens one moment and then bow his head admitting his mistakes the next. Instead, he was genuinely committing himself to Cultivation, which baffled and profoundly shocked them.
However, they dared not make excessive contact, for their past encounters with Sun Wukong had revealed his deep-seated hatred for Buddhism. A Bodhisattva had even been killed at Sun Wukong’s hands.
The Buddha had already decreed that Sun Wukong would be suppressed under Five Finger Mountain for five hundred years, until the Journey to the West began. Everyone believed that after five hundred years of suppression, Sun Wukong would surely submit.
But Sun Wukong’s change of heart was unexpected, leaving them momentarily unsure how to proceed. In the end, they could only conclude that Sun Wukong was playing tricks on them, trying to demonstrate his defiance and make them anxious.
So, after observing Sun Wukong for ten years, the Buddhas finally breathed a sigh of relief. They witnessed him fly into a rage at the sight of the mountain of accumulated iron pellets. Moreover, due to inhaling a large amount of miasma, he became extremely irritable, cursing the heavens and reverting to his old self.
With a mixture of relief and something akin to tears, the Buddhas thought, Sun Wukong is finally back to normal! We can rest easy now. He was indeed trying to play mind games with us.
In the following years, Sun Wukong, tired from his ranting, resumed his Cultivation, no longer drawing the Buddhas’ attention. During this time, Sha Chen’s clone, Li Bai, had been keeping a watchful eye on the situation. After confirming that the Buddhas were not paying too much attention by sending people to Five Finger Mountain several times without incident, he finally decided to purchase food and drinks to... *cough*... visit Sun Wukong.