Chapter 20: Chapter 20 - Achieving Golden Immortal status, the Seven Immortal Maidens arrived【Seeking Collections, Seeking Recommendations】_1
Tongtian Hierarch returned to Zi Zhi Cliff.
Reflecting on the past, he couldn’t help but sigh. If it had been during the peak of my power, would I have bothered to recruit a junior who isn’t even a Golden Immortal? What’s even more maddening is that this junior actually dared to refuse me.
The more Tongtian Hierarch thought about it, the angrier he became. He mumbled to himself, A junior with average talent and just a bit of perseverance thinks he can cultivate until he feels safe before emerging? I doubt he can even break through to Golden Immortal.
Suddenly, his expression changed slightly. It’s only been half a month since I returned from the Flowing Sand River, and he’s already broken through!?
He had calculated that Sha Chen had broken through to the Golden Immortal realm within the Formation.
Tongtian Hierarch was shocked beyond belief. Impossible! With his talent, breaking through to Golden Immortal should take at least ten thousand years. Even if he consumed all the First-class Immortal Elixirs from the medicinal fields, it shouldn’t be possible for him to advance so quickly... HISS... he didn’t even take those elixirs.
Tongtian Hierarch paused for a moment, astonished. How did he do it?
Then he laughed to himself. Very good, now it’s getting interesting. It seems my judgment was still sound. The more outstanding you are, the more I like it. Let’s see if you can hold yourself back after your cultivation breakthrough and not come out to show off!
Tongtian Hierarch knew well that everyone cultivates for fame and profit. Fame is to become well-known, and profit is for personal gain.
Sha Chen has been diligently cultivating in one place, without stealing or seizing anything. There’s no gain; can he really endure it? Moreover, after advancing his cultivation, wouldn’t he want to show off and have his name known throughout the world?
However, Sha Chen truly hadn’t left the Flowing Sand River, which caused some frustration for Tongtian Hierarch.
He’ll surely become impatient soon. And it seems he is enduring the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart Formation. I’ll secretly strengthen the Formation and see how he can bear it.
With a chuckle, Tongtian Hierarch flicked his finger, and a streak of light shot out, landing within the Flowing Sand River.
Sha Chen’s cultivation had broken through to Golden Immortal, and the system was presenting him with choices.
He discovered that the sword lights within the water cave had become even more dazzling, as if the Formation had been strengthened.
Stunned, he thought, Why has the Formation been strengthened again? Could it be that the Jade Emperor or Buddhism knows of my cultivation breakthrough and intends to intensify the Formation to force me into becoming a demon? But I won’t submit. Moreover, the strengthening of this Formation makes it even more convenient for me to convert it into the cultivation I need.
Sha Chen laughed secretly, not taking the strengthening of the Formation seriously at all.
"The host’s cultivation has reached Golden Immortal. You have the following choices."
"Choice one: Emerge immediately and become a demon. Create a grand reputation, seize a mountain as king, and become a Great Demon King. The reward is the [Demon Dragon Orb]. The Demon Dragon Orb is a bead containing the entire cultivation of a Demon Dragon. It has a deterrent effect on demons, and possessing it allows one to be called a Great Saint of the Demon Clan."
"Choice two: Continue in seclusion in the hope of advancing further. Reward: [Thirty-six Variations of the Heavenly Gang]. Thirty-six Variations of the Heavenly Gang: Thirty-six types of transformative Divine Powers, allowing for thirty-six different transformations."
Sha Chen chose without hesitation to continue in seclusion.
Even the status of a named disciple to a Saint wasn’t enough to attract me, let alone the mere title of Great Saint of the Demon Clan! Why not continue to cultivate and stay low until the end of time? Why get involved in violence and killings?
Sha Chen began to practice the Thirty-six Variations of the Heavenly Gang. Now that he had both the 72 Polymorphic Transformations and the Thirty-six Variations, his magical abilities were temporarily without any significant shortcomings. What he lacked most were some powerful Divine Powers.
However, what he needed most now were Divine Powers and Magical Tools; these two were critically important and pivotal to his combat strength.
Sha Chen continued his seclusion, understanding that each breakthrough would allow him a choice—a chance to obtain Divine Powers, Magical Tools, or cultivation resources. Regardless of which it was, he needed them.
「The next day.」
Sha Chen found that the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart Formation had indeed intensified, but he endured it perfectly. Furthermore, the cultivation energy he gained was even greater than before. His heart was filled with joy, as the daily Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart had become something he eagerly anticipated.
「In the heavens above.」
The Great White Planet, frantically holding a mirror, found the Jade Emperor in the Bright Palace.
"Your Majesty, someone has tampered with the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart Formation," the Great White Planet hurriedly said.
The Jade Emperor slammed his hand on the table and chuckled coldly. "I knew it! No wonder Sha Chen was able to endure it. So someone has meddled with it; he hasn’t suffered much damage at all, has he?"
The Great White Planet’s cheeks twitched as he placed the Haotian Mirror on the table. Awkwardly, he said, "The Formation hasn’t become weaker, nor has it been circumvented. Instead, it has actually become stronger; it’s now upgraded to a higher-tier version."
The Jade Emperor was shocked. "A higher-tier Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart? Even a Greater Primordial Golden Immortal might not be able to withstand it, right?"
The Great White Planet said, "Indeed, even a Greater Primordial Golden Immortal wouldn’t be able to hold up against this Formation."
The Jade Emperor asked, "Who did this? Are they trying to kill Juanlian? Wait, is he dead!?"
The Great White Planet replied, "He’s not dead. He endured the Formation just like before, without any anomalies." He exclaimed, "General for Folding the Curtain’s willpower is truly astonishing!"
The Jade Emperor was astounded.
He swept his hand across the Haotian Mirror but could no longer inspect the situation inside the Sky Shielding Talisman. However, through the Haotian Mirror, he could see the process of the luminous Formation and Sha Chen enduring it, which materialized on its surface.
Seeing Sha Chen’s unchanged expression, even looking somewhat like he was enjoying it, the Jade Emperor was baffled.
He looked at the Great White Planet and asked, "Are you sure it has been strengthened, not weakened?"
The Great White Planet responded with a bitter smile.
The Jade Emperor then knew for certain that it had been intensified.
The Jade Emperor suddenly asked, "How much time has passed, and he still hasn’t submitted?"
The Great White Planet replied, "He’s too determined. Previously, the spider demons from The Cave of the Silken Web tried to scheme against him, but they didn’t succeed."
Seeing that the Jade Emperor was about to get angry, he quickly added, "However, over this past year, those spider demons have been busy with Bai Yulong and the troubles in the West Sea, so they didn’t have time to bother with Sha Chen. Now that they’ve made peace, they probably have time to deal with Sha Chen. I presume they plan to use a beauty trap; Sha Chen will likely not be able to resist."
The Jade Emperor nodded. "Those demons do possess some attractiveness. After suffering for so long, Sha Chen must be looking to vent; he probably can’t hold back."
He waved his hand. "Prepare yourself. If he can’t hold back and emerges from the water as a demon, give him a lesson, and then let Buddhism take care of him. If he manages to hold back... well, forget it, how could he possibly hold back? Even I couldn’t."
With that, he let out a laugh and continued with his administrative work.
The Great White Planet left.
Muzha had been searching for Marshal Tianpeng’s whereabouts lately. Since that day he left, having escaped the slaughter, Marshal Tianpeng had vanished without a trace. Muzha had searched for a long time without any sightings.
「That day, following a trail, he arrived at the domain of the Flowing Sand River.」
He looked at the Flowing Sand River. It was now a hundred times larger than its previous eight-hundred-li span. Muzha was dumbfounded and even found it challenging to locate where the original river used to be.
How did this place turn into Ze Country? Sha Chen couldn’t have died, could he?
Muzha was quite worried, as he could no longer divine Sha Chen’s situation. Moreover, his main responsibility lately had been the spiritual conversion of Tianpeng, so he was unaware of Sha Chen’s current condition.
Suddenly, he saw demonic qi soaring into the sky in the distance. Seven graceful figures approached over the water, their beautiful voices carrying ahead, as if they were searching for something.
Muzha recognized the identities of the seven demons, and his eyes lit up. There’s going to be a good show.