Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Inviting the God is easy but sending him off is difficult, Bajie also wants to bear it together【Ask for collection and recommendation votes】_1
Zhu Bajie was not bad by nature. His teasing of Sha Chen was purely because he himself was suffering and wanted to see others suffer too, so he could take pleasure in their shared hardship. If Sha Chen truly encountered a difficulty that Zhu Bajie could help with, he’d tease but still lend a hand. On the journey to the West, Zhu Bajie was just that kind of person—fond of taking small advantages, lecherous, gluttonous, and lazy. But the people he acknowledged, he was undeniably clear and decisive when it mattered. Sha Chen knew this, so he didn’t take Zhu Bajie’s teasing to heart, but he also planned to give Zhu Bajie a hard time. Today’s behavior was purely intentional. However, his carefree time within the Formation was genuine.
Zhu Bajie was all tears and snot, lamenting how hard his past years had been. Sha Chen listened with great interest, incessantly serving him dishes and pouring wine, and the more he did so, the guiltier Zhu Bajie felt inside.
Embarrassed, he said, "Old Sha, I thought you were worse off than me and wanted to laugh at you, but I didn’t expect you to be so kind to me."
Sha Chen replied, "We were colleagues in the Celestial Court; it’s only right."
Zhu Bajie immediately thumped his chest and said, "Old Sha, with your words, I’m assured. It just so happens I have nowhere else to go, and since we were colleagues before, I’ll stay with you. You don’t mind, do you?"
Sha Chen was taken aback. He was just being polite and planned to simply help Zhu Bajie complete a system task to get a reward. But Zhu Bajie took that as an opportunity to impose.
Sha Chen immediately said, "I do mind, actually."
Zhu Bajie said, "Old Sha, that’s not very nice of you."
Sha Chen did not want to continue the conversation because he wanted to focus on his arduous Cultivation. With one more person around, he would feel less secure. So he earnestly said, "Tianpeng, I truly can’t keep you here because I’m enduring hardships here, and you really might not be able to bear it."
Zhu Bajie waved his hand dismissively, "What do you mean can’t bear it? This isn’t suffering, this is luxury!"
Sha Chen pointed to a glowing water cave not far away.
Calmly, he said, "The Ten Thousand Swords Piercing Heart Pure Yang Array has reached an advanced level. If you stay long, be prepared to endure it."
Zhu Bajie was scornful, "Just the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart Formation, that’s nothing..."
He started with disdain, but upon closer inspection of the light in the water cave, he felt his heart pound, goosebumps erupted all over him, and his pigskin tingled with fear, causing him to quickly change his tune.
Surprised, he said, "Even if I, old pig, had the body of a Celestial God, I couldn’t bear this Formation. How can you endure it?"
Sha Chen said, "In an hour, today’s Formation will descend."
Zhu Bajie said, "Can you really bear it? I have to see this for myself. You must have some way of avoiding it; otherwise, how could you be so carefree under such a Formation?"
「An hour later.」
When the Formation descended, it indeed was the advanced Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart Formation. Zhu Bajie trembled in fear just watching from the side. This Formation, not even a Greater Primordial Golden Immortal could necessarily withstand, and with his previous life’s Golden Immortal peak Cultivation, he couldn’t bear it either. How could Sha Chen possibly bear it? But he witnessed with his own eyes how Sha Chen easily endured the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart and was immediately shocked.
How can his willpower be so terrifying? How does he endure it? Zhu Bajie was dumbfounded. Then he noticed Sha Chen’s Cultivation level, which was at the middle tier of a Golden Immortal, close to stepping into the higher tier. Wasn’t he just a General for Folding the Curtain, a mere Attendant? At most, his Cultivation should be at the Immortal Taiyi level. How could he possibly be at the middle tier of a Golden Immortal!? Unbelievable! Zhu Bajie was dumbfounded.
Ever since he met Sha Chen, he had been continuously shocked by him, finding everything so inconceivable.
After enduring the Formation, Sha Chen sought out Zhu Bajie again, a smile on his face. He laughed and said, "Tianpeng, are you sure you want to stay and endure the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart with me? How about this: you take one day, I take one day. That’s fair for everyone."
Zhu Bajie immediately started hopping in protest. "I don’t want it even for one day! But," he then said, his face gloomy, "if I just leave like this, I’ll either be eaten by mountain spirits and demons or slaughtered by beastly humans. I might as well die here."
Sha Chen said, "I’ll help you transform; then you’ll be safe."
Zhu Bajie exclaimed with joy, "Really? You can really help me transform?"
Sha Chen went to the medicine field and returned with a Transformation Herb, saying, "I happen to have some of this by chance. If you eat it, you’ll surely transform and even generate immortal qi within your body. Gradually practice your previous Cultivation Techniques, and you’ll slowly recover the Mana from your past life."
Zhu Bajie quickly thanked him and then ate it without waiting. In an instant, he transformed into a figure thirteen feet tall, with a fat head and big ears, half-human, half-pig, standing upright and shaking his head. This was the true image of Zhu Bajie.
Sha Chen said, "You could have transformed into a human form. Why turn into this demonic appearance?"
Zhu Bajie replied, "My current Mana is not enough. When I gradually recover all the Mana from my previous life, I’ll be able to turn into a human form."
Sha Chen nodded, then went to pack some dishes and ham, handing them to Zhu Bajie.
"What’s this for?" Bajie asked, puzzled.
Sha Chen said, "Your problem is solved now. You can leave."
Bajie said, "Look at what you’re saying! We’re brothers, after all. Can’t I keep you company? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to leave before your next Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart."
Sha Chen realized that inviting a god was easy, but sending one away was difficult. Now he would waste another day of Cultivation.
However, he had obtained the Magical Tool [Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe]. He secretly retrieved it and put it on. It appeared to be an ordinary shawl but made him impervious to swords and spears. As long as his opponents were of the same realm and didn’t use extremely powerful Divine Powers, elemental spells, or stronger Magical Tools, they basically couldn’t harm him. Even cultivators slightly stronger than him couldn’t break through his Purple Illuminate Immortal Robe without special Magical Tools or Divine Powers.
Zhu Bajie wandered aimlessly within the Formation. He noticed that Sha Chen had also planted peach trees and declared that he would return when they matured. Seeing several First-class Immortal Elixir saplings, he drooled even more. Sha Chen kept an eye on Bajie the whole time. If Zhu Bajie dared to cause trouble, he was prepared to risk offending the celestials and make him reincarnate once again. However, Bajie did know some limits. He just drooled without insisting on taking anything.
「The next day.」
Sha Chen couldn’t wait to send Zhu Bajie away. But suddenly, Zhu Bajie said, "Old Sha, how about this: I’ll endure half of the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart for you."
Sha Chen was stunned for a moment, thinking Zhu Bajie coveted his possessions and wanted to stay. But when he saw the fear in Zhu Bajie’s eyes, his hands and feet trembling, he understood. Zhu Bajie genuinely wanted to stay and help him share the pain. Bajie didn’t know that he wasn’t in pain; in fact, he could even gain Cultivation through the Thousand Swords Piercing The Heart. At that moment, Sha Chen was even somewhat moved. However, he still wanted to send Zhu Bajie away. He was already short on clothes and food, barely able to feed himself, let alone support a pig.
Just then, an aged voice from outside called out, "General for Folding the Curtain, I am Great White Planet, here to see you."
Hearing this voice, Zhu Bajie jumped up, thrilled. "It’s old Li Changgeng! That’s great! I’ll find him and ask him to plead for us before the Jade Emperor. If he puts in a good word, maybe they’ll let us off the hook, and we can return to Heaven to live lavishly as officials again!"
He was about to leave the Formation but was held back by Sha Chen.