Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 528 - 522: On the Verge of a Breakthrough [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Chapter 528: Chapter 522: On the Verge of a Breakthrough [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

POP.

Ji Gong was directly crushed to death by Sha Chen. With his dying breath, he sighed deeply. He hadn’t expected to fall here today, and what was more regrettable was his inability to send out the news about Siti in time.

That was Siti, the grand ancestor Buddhism had been searching for, for countless years. If Saint Zhunti were to combine with Grand Ancestor Siti, perhaps he would become the strongest Saint, leading Buddhism even further.

Siti’s gaze flickered, as if she wanted to eradicate Ji Gong’s soul as well.

But Sha Chen stopped her, saying, "There’s no need. His soul has already gone to reincarnate. Who knows when he’ll regain his memory in his next life? It’s not necessary to be so ruthless; after all, he had no ill intentions."

Siti said, "But he wanted to expose my whereabouts."

Sha Chen replied, "Actually, the exposure of your whereabouts is only a matter of time. I killed Maitreya Buddha before, so Buddhism probably already knows. If Tathagata doesn’t come, a Saint will surely come. With their capabilities, finding out your whereabouts will be quite easy."

Siti fell silent.

Sha Chen also knew Siti was a hot potato, but letting go of her was impossible. Not to mention that Siti herself was a supremely powerful being who could lend a hand. Her very branches and leaves, her entire being, were a huge treasure; a single strand of her hair could be refined into an enlightenment elixir. Small creatures resting under the Bodhi Tree for a year or so could directly transform. He couldn’t possibly give up on such a heaven-defying divine tree. Even if a Saint came, it wouldn’t change his mind.

However, speaking of Saints, Sha Chen was still worried. After all, Saints were so powerful that they could not be underestimated. He had to take precautions early. Now that he had killed Ji Gong and there was nothing else pressing for the time being, Sha Chen planned to cultivate and enhance his strength.

Upon returning to his cave residence, Sha Chen planned to enter seclusion. However, Tianpeng clung to him, asking him to teach Dao Techniques and bestow Divine Powers.

"Old Sha," Tianpeng whined, "I heard that Red Boy and the others have already reached the peak of Da Luo and have made impressive names for themselves in the outside world, while I’m still so unkempt. You can’t favor one over the other!"

Sha Chen said, "I can teach you Dao Techniques and Divine Powers to help you reach the peak of Da Luo faster, but you need to provide your own cultivation resources. I no longer have any Elixirs or Immortal Herbs to increase cultivation."

Tianpeng replied, "Don’t worry, I still have some private savings."

Sha Chen shot him a look. So Tianpeng still had something hidden.

Tianpeng, however, pretended not to notice. Head down, he fiddled with his sleeve, coughed, and helped himself to a drink.

Siti transformed into the Bodhi Tree, rooting herself in the Innate Earth. The surrounding divine trees all kept their distance from her.

Sha Chen sat under the Bodhi Tree and then began to teach. The Dao he expounded was something even Siti could listen to and gain from, let alone Tianpeng. Benefiting from Sha Chen’s presence, Tianpeng was also able to comprehend the Dao under the Bodhi Tree. He tasted enlightenment tea, and with the enhancement from Sha Chen’s Pure World Eye, his comprehension of the Dao became doubly effective. Sha Chen imparted all his Dao Techniques to him at once, not worrying that Tianpeng wouldn’t understand; he just needed to contemplate them slowly.

After passing on the Dao Techniques and Divine Powers to Tianpeng, Sha Chen began to cultivate on his own.

First, he took out a Blissful Fruit; he had two of them, both uneaten. Looking at the Blissful Fruit in his hand, Sha Chen was very pleased. He ate one immediately, feeling a powerful Divine Power surge majestically inside him.

GASP.

Such strong Divine Power! The Mana in my body is boiling. It is indeed true that a single Blissful Fruit can nurture a Daluo Golden Immortal. With such Divine Power, one can indeed cultivate a Daluo Golden Immortal in the shortest possible time. And inside the Blissful Fruit, there’s even Dao contained within!

Sha Chen was pleasantly surprised, discovering that the Blissful Fruit he ate contained Dao principles.

A trace of triumph curled Sha Chen’s lips. This principle is actually faith! It can strengthen one’s Dao heart and is greatly beneficial for comprehending the principles of faith.

The Blissful Fruit itself was said to be a condensation of the beliefs of Buddhism, born in the Western World of Ultimate Bliss—something one might encounter but could not actively seek. Now it seemed the Blissful Fruit truly was formed from the power of faith, containing beliefs that not only enhanced Divine Power but also made it easier for one to comprehend the great Dao of faith. The Blissful Fruit was of immense benefit to those who endured arduous spiritual cultivation, and it played a significant role in enlightenment.

Sha Chen was filled with delight, feeling as though his understanding of various Dao Techniques had deepened by another layer. Moreover, the Divine Power within his body surged unstoppably, as if he were about to break through to the next level.

There was still one Blissful Fruit left, which Sha Chen did not consume. He felt that this Blissful Fruit had another purpose, and he needed to let it exert an even greater effect.

HUM.

Even without consuming the other Blissful Fruit, the Mana within Sha Chen surged, and it seemed he was about to break through his current realm.

Sha Chen’s cultivation level was already at High-rank Quasi-Saint, just half a step away from the Quasi-Sage Peak. This half-step, if reliant on arduous practice, would require at least tens of thousands of years. That was still considered quick. Many people had been stuck at this realm for a lifetime without ever crossing it. For instance, the second and third of the San Xiao sisters had been stuck at the mid-to-high levels of the Quasi-Saint realm for over a hundred thousand years without breaking through. Maitreya Buddha had also been stuck at the High-rank Quasi-Saint level for over a hundred thousand years, unable to break through; he had joined Buddhism precisely for the sake of overcoming his current realm. Unexpectedly, in the end, he perished without achieving that breakthrough.

Now that he had consumed the Blissful Fruit, it seemed Sha Chen was about to break through. His Mana cultivation soared upwards, making him feel as if he were floating in ecstasy. Sha Chen was thrilled, his eyes shining brightly.

But, ultimately, something was still lacking. After all, he was not a Daluo Golden Immortal but an even more powerful High-rank Quasi-Saint. His mud-pill sea of consciousness was already over ten times larger than that of ordinary people, and the Divine Power required for his cultivation was also over tenfold more. Otherwise, with the Divine Power resources he had absorbed over the years, he would have already reached the Quasi-Sage Peak. The resources he had obtained were enough to make even Saints envious; not a single Saint could produce as many Innate Spiritual Roots and various resources as he could. Sha Chen was able to acquire them, and he had refined them all. The resources he refined in a single session were equivalent to the collective wealth accumulated by many great forces over ten thousand years, or even longer.

A mere Blissful Fruit might enable someone stuck at the Initial Quasi-Sage Level to break through, but for someone stuck at the High-rank Quasi-Saint level like him, even two more might not suffice. The Divine Power required at this level was simply too immense. Even if Sha Chen were to consume the remaining Blissful Fruit, it would be of no use.

However, as Sha Chen neared the verge of breakthrough, it was not in his nature to give up. Otherwise, he couldn’t tell when the next chance for a breakthrough would come. Cultivation was just like that: if you didn’t advance, you lost ground. But Sha Chen could not simply strip clean all the Elixirs and Immortal Elixirs within the Innate Earth; that would be digging his own grave, draining the pond to get the fish.

Sha Chen’s eyes flickered as he extracted the Blood of Zulong, a reward from the system. The Blood of Zulong was infused with Zulong’s Divine Power and contained most of Zulong’s inherited memories, filled with infinite Divine Power. Although those of the Dragon Clan were the most suitable for refining it, Sha Chen, not being of the Dragon Clan, could also refine it.

The Blood of Zulong is most beneficial for the physical body, but it also contains limitless Divine Power. It will certainly enable a breakthrough in my cultivation as well!

Zulong was known as the most destructive being during the Dragon Han’s Initial Calamity Period, an existence that even Daoist Ancestor Hongjun and Demon Ancestor Luo Hou would have to go out of their way to avoid. The infinite Divine Power contained within it was truly terrifying. Even though its greatest effect was on the physical body, it would certainly work wonders for increasing his cultivation level as well.