Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 535 - 529: The Key to Becoming a Saint [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Chapter 535: Chapter 529: The Key to Becoming a Saint [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

Tianpeng, seeing Sha Chen fall silent, asked again.

Sha Chen spoke clearly, "Tianpeng, there’s no need to bring it up again. I’m not going to leave the Flowing Sand River with you. If I wanted to leave, I would have done so long ago." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

But Tianpeng refused to give up and said, "You didn’t leave in the past because you weren’t strong enough. But now, your strength is unmatched in this world. Why still stay here?"

Sha Chen said, "It’s pretty nice here. Also, I am far from invincible. Above me, there are Saints, and even if there weren’t any Saints, the Sub-Sages are numerous and not to be underestimated with their various methods."

Tianpeng was so annoyed his nose nearly became crooked. He said, "Old Sha, why be so overly cautious? With your strength, even the Saints have to show you some respect. Not to mention the Sub-Sages; they definitely need to give you face."

"You’re overthinking it!" Sha Chen shook his head. He continued, "Why would Saints give me face? And why should Sub-Sages care about my face? My strength has reached a level where I could threaten them, so why would they still show me respect?"

Tianpeng was stunned for a moment and found himself at a loss for words.

Sha Chen continued, "Even if I weren’t a threat to them, they would find ways to deal with me just to uncover the secrets within the Flowing Sand River."

"You surely know this, and understand it well. Therefore, you should appreciate my reasons for being reluctant to leave this place."

Tianpeng was silent for a while, then nodded slightly, saying, "What you say does seem quite reasonable. However, I feel that by hiding like this, you’ll always be unable to advance further."

"Look at you, your strength has reached Quasi-Sage Peak, and to advance further, you would aim for the Sub-Sage or Saint level. Staying here, do you think it’s possible?"

Siti also nodded, saying, "Indeed, staying here, becoming a Saint is impossible. In other words, this is as far as your cultivation will take you in this lifetime."

Sha Chen, however, smiled and said, "Even though I know that going out to establish great achievements is the only way to potentially become a Saint through merit, for some reason, I feel that my cultivation has not reached its limit."

"If I continue to cultivate, I am certain I can push even further. Don’t worry about me. If I can no longer improve, I will leave this place."

Sha Chen was not a stubborn person. If he truly could not progress, staying would mean going backward, which was not what he wanted. Hence, when that time came, he would need to consider change, to find a way to leave, or to become even stronger. Now, he still felt his strength had not reached its limit, and he could continue cultivating, which was why he was not in a rush to leave.

Tianpeng wanted to persuade him further, but seeing Sha Chen’s resolve, he could only shake his head and sigh, saying no more.

Sha Chen laughed and said, "Tianpeng, I see your strength has reached High-order Da Luo, but to become a Pinnacle Daluo, you need to put in more effort."

Tianpeng replied, "I’ve already worked hard enough. Do you think everyone is like you? Able to improve through secluded cultivation, to advance by mere diligent practice?"

He was also frustrated; at his level, continuing in seclusion wasn’t very effective for progress. His talents were fine, but talent also required resources and time, which were essential to break through barriers. Only a few years had passed since Sha Chen went into seclusion, and he didn’t have the time needed for a breakthrough either.

When Sha Chen looked at Siti, he said, "Why do I feel like you haven’t made any progress? Why are you so mediocre?"

Siti retorted angrily, "Mediocre? I have spanned through ages, from ancient times to the present, weathered countless storms. If I were mediocre, how could I have survived this long?"

"Do you think everyone is like you, such a freak, so unreasonable? To be able to cultivate to such a state in such a short time!?"

Sha Chen was startled for a moment and then scratched his head, saying, "When you put it that way, I don’t even know if I should be angry."

He was being criticized, yet at the same time praised, leaving him uncertain whether to be angry.

Sha Chen said, "But you can’t possibly have made no progress at all, right?"

Siti huffed, "I’ve lived countless years, and reaching this level has put me at my peak. Without some incredible stroke of luck, progressing any further is impossible."

Though her talents were remarkable and her opportunities profound, at the Quasi-Saint Realm, advancing even a single level would take a lifetime of effort for many. Even so, it was still nearly impossible for anyone to make such rapid breakthroughs. Siti, transformed from the Bodhi Tree, had high innate talent, but her potential was fixed, and her current state was her ceiling. Without greater opportunities, she could not hope to break through.

Saint Zhunti’s talent was similar to hers; reaching their current level could lead to a standstill. However, Zhunti was fortunate. He gained the recognition of the Heavenly Dao before reaching the High-rank Quasi Saint level and thus became a Saint.

In days of yore, the six great Saints had all only reached the Quasi-Saint Realm before their apotheosis, most of them merely at the Intitial Quasi-sage Level. They received the Heavenly Dao’s recognition and ascended with a leap, bypassing many minor realms to directly become Saints. Among them, the Sage Laozi had already reached the High-Level Quasi-Saint stage before his breakthrough, his cultivation the highest among them all prior to becoming Saints. Therefore, when he broke through and entered the Saint Realm, he became the strongest Saint. Nuwa, on the other hand, was only at the Intitial Quasi-sage Level when she made her breakthrough. Her cultivation was the lowest, making her the weakest among the Saints.

Everyone has their own fate and their own limits. Sha Chen’s original ceiling was quite low, only increased through various unique encounters, constantly defying fate to raise his own limits. Tianpeng’s potential was previously capped at the Golden Immortal realm, and it wasn’t certain he could even reach the High-ranking Daluo Golden Immortal level. But encountering Sha Chen, and benefiting from all kinds of precious items and advantages, he managed to break through and reach the level he is at now. His potential, naturally, also kept growing. Even so, reaching Siti’s level was not guaranteed for him; even attaining the cultivation of the Golden Winged Dapeng would be extremely difficult.

Sha Chen sighed, "It turns out your talent isn’t enough, can’t really blame you."

Siti laughed in anger, pointing at Sha Chen. For a moment, she was speechless, unable to find the words to retort. She was simply at a loss for words. There was no helping it. In front of Sha Chen, no one dared to boast about their talent; if Sha Chen suggested someone lacked talent, it seemed they couldn’t argue. Moreover, she had indeed reached her limit, and it was difficult to change her cultivation level.

Sha Chen said, "Then why are you looking for the Innate Earth?"

Siti replied, "Cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don’t advance, you will fall back. I’m not seeking improvement, but trying not to regress."

At this time, a tranquil voice came from outside. "I wondered why Xianglong fell here. It turns out it was because of the Ancestress of Buddhism."

"Heh, you want to advance, and so do I. Our desires are the same, Siti. Since we both have our hearts set on it, why not join forces?"