Journey to the West: Signing in for 500 Years-Chapter 581 - 575: Tang Sanzang Preaches Buddhism [Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets]_1

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man was momentarily befuddled. He truly had not expected this kind of relationship between Sha Chen and Tongtian Hierarch; it had taken him completely by surprise.

But on second thought, it seemed quite normal. Sha Chen had exceptional talent and extraordinary abilities; it was perfectly normal for someone of Tongtian Hierarch's discernment to have noticed him early on. Taking him as a disciple would have been a matter of course.

The only thing the Nine-winged Mosquito Man couldn't understand was why Sha Chen had refused to become Tongtian Hierarch's disciple.

That was a Saint! If he had become a disciple of a Saint, who would dare bully him!? Even Saint Zhunti probably wouldn't dare to come here and cause trouble then.

Sha Chen seemed to know what the Nine-winged Mosquito Man was thinking and said indifferently, "Actually, I didn't just refuse Tongtian Hierarch; I even refused the sage Laozi."

HISS.

He had even refused the sage Laozi! That was the strongest Saint in the world! Where did Sha Chen get the confidence and audacity to refuse the sage Laozi? Impossible, absolutely impossible!

But in fact, Sha Chen had indeed refused.

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man was almost driven mad. "Both of them are Saints with heaven-defying power! If they backed you, how could Saint Zhunti have attacked you?"

Sha Chen replied indifferently, "Firstly, they aren't powerful enough to intimidate another Saint. Otherwise, the Sect of Interpretation wouldn't have been annihilated during the Divine Enthronement. Secondly, I feel that becoming their disciple would definitely force me to leave this river, and I don't want to leave this place yet."

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man was dumbfounded.

So that was the reason! But after careful consideration, it seemed quite reasonable. Saints, though powerful, still couldn't constrain the actions of another Saint. Tongtian Hierarch was mighty, but most of those who died in the Divine Enthronement war were his disciples. Becoming his disciple wouldn't be safe either. As for the sage Laozi, although known as the strongest Saint, he was accustomed to ruling through non-action. Who knew if he would actually stand up for Sha Chen? If he wasn't willing to intervene, what was the point of becoming his disciple? The final reason was purely Sha Chen's own: he didn't want to leave, didn't want to go, and no one could change his mind.

Seeing the Nine-winged Mosquito Man's confusion, Sha Chen asked, "Alright, let me ask you, could Tongtian Hierarch also create a small world capable of birthing life?"

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man replied, "He certainly could. After all, at the end of the Divine Enthronement, he intended to create a new world."

Sha Chen frowned, his eyes flickering. "That proves he was capable from the start but lacked the necessary conditions. Once the conditions were met after the Divine Enthronement, he then wanted to create a new world."

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man nodded repeatedly, then suddenly said, "Actually, I have a theory: creating a new world requires immense Divine Power and Spiritual Power, as well as sufficient vital qi and blood; otherwise, it's impossible to birth life."

"After the Divine Enthronement war, especially within the Sword Array of Immortality, countless immortals perished, and powerful experts were as numerous as hairs on an ox. Their vital essence and blood were so immense they could be described as a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood—perhaps enough to create a new world."

Sha Chen had also thought of this but wasn't certain.

He nodded and said, "I will ask the Saint about this."

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Sha Chen inquired again.

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man added a few more things, but most of it was information Sha Chen already knew, so he lost interest. After all, the Nine-winged Mosquito Man himself didn't understand space or new worlds; his knowledge was mere hearsay and not very helpful to Sha Chen.

「Half a day later.」

Sha Chen escorted the Nine-winged Mosquito Man outside the cave dwelling. Though the Nine-winged Mosquito Man had been inside the cave from beginning to end, he had no idea what it looked like.

But he was certain: the Flowing Sand River Cave was undoubtedly a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, teeming with treasures. If all the things Sha Chen mentioned truly existed in the Flowing Sand River Cave, it would be enough to make people from all over the world flock to it. No wonder Saint Zhunti and the others were so desperate to obtain the cave dwelling and wanted to break in.

「Outside the cave dwelling.」

Sha Chen took out a fruit and handed it to the Nine-winged Mosquito Man, saying, "I hope you will deliver this Blissful Fruit to someone."

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man asked in astonishment, "Who?"

Sha Chen replied, "By now, he should have matured and is currently expounding the Buddhist Law—the eminent monk Tang Sanzang of the Great Tang."

Five hundred years had passed. Jin Chanzi's reincarnation in this life had grown into an eminent monk, a pillar of strength. In this life, he was protected by all the gods and Buddhas of Heaven. Furthermore, during his reincarnation, Saint Zhunti personally intervened to strip away his past-life memories. This reincarnation as Tang Sanzang seemed to follow the same trajectory as his previous life, without any apparent changes.

But no one realized how powerful Tang Sanzang's Primordial Spirit was; he could grasp anything after learning it once, achieve minor mastery after three repetitions, and attain Great Accomplishment after nine. In the Realm of People, within the Great Tang, he was already a renowned eminent monk, his understanding of Buddhist Law profound and unparalleled among his contemporaries. For this reason, Tang Sanzang earnestly beseeched King Tang to allow him to establish a forum to preach and propagate the Buddhist Law.

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man held the fruit, looking a little stunned. He recognized it as a Blissful Fruit, capable of enhancing cultivation.

However, Tang Sanzang was a disciple of Buddhism, the key figure destined for the Journey to the West. Giving him this Blissful Fruit seemed like a fruitless gesture. Even Buddhism itself might not easily offer a Blissful Fruit to Tang Sanzang. Yet, Sha Chen was so generous. Could there be some hidden reason?

Sha Chen didn't hide his intentions. "Tang Sanzang is my disciple, though he may not recall the karmic ties of his past lives," he said straightforwardly. "Even if he has forgotten, I need him to know that as my disciple, I will not abandon him."

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man was truly shocked. He had never imagined Sha Chen would secretly take a disciple of Buddhism as his own. If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly shock the entire world.

Sha Chen looked at the Nine-winged Mosquito Man with a peculiar expression and said, "I trust you will keep this a secret for me."

"Rest assured, Brother, I will definitely keep this secret. This Blissful Fruit will also be delivered, absolutely no ambiguity," the Nine-winged Mosquito Man quickly replied.

Sha Chen nodded. "In that case, I'm relieved. Please complete this task promptly. Otherwise, our next meeting might indeed be a thousand years from now."

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man's body trembled. He had indeed been thinking of delaying, to show Sha Chen that he couldn't do without him. He also wanted some payback against Sha Chen, to make Sha Chen understand the importance of respecting him more in their daily interactions. But the threat hidden in Sha Chen's words was something he could not ignore.

With an awkward smile, he said, "Rest assured, no problem, it will be done. Within three days, that monk will definitely have eaten the Blissful Fruit."

The Nine-winged Mosquito Man left.

Sha Chen returned to the cave dwelling, where Siti had already gathered around.

She asked puzzledly, "Why did you give the Blissful Fruit away? If consumed directly, it could cultivate a Daluo Golden Immortal, which would be of tremendous help to you."

Sha Chen replied, "I no longer lack Daluo Golden Immortals among my subordinates. Besides, Tang Sanzang becoming a Daluo Golden Immortal will also be beneficial to me."

Siti said, "But he has already forgotten. Saint Zhunti personally acted; there couldn't be any mistake. Jin Chanzi's memories were stripped away, so he remembers nothing. You're just doing all the work for someone else's benefit."

Sha Chen laughed heartily and declared, "It's not that easy. Within that Blissful Fruit, I've infused the memories of Jin Chanzi's experiences from his past few lifetimes. When he eats it, his merits will be perfected, his mana will surge, and he will recall everything from his past lives."