Chapter 171: Chapter 171

Ran Deng Buddha snorted coldly, planning to stand up and teach Sha Chen and his companion a lesson.

Indeed, he had been lying in ambush here, but he hadn’t expected Sha Chen and his companion not to fall for the trap. They were even scheming against him from within the Flowing Sand River. He hadn’t launched a forceful attack earlier primarily because he felt that the Black Tortoise Armor was indestructible; even for him, it would be difficult to breach its defenses with all his might. Doing so would nullify its deterrent effect, so he had retreated.

But now, he felt he could try to break the Black Tortoise Armor, enter the Flowing Sand River, and capture those two arrogant juniors.

However, just as he stood up, he felt a terrifying presence enveloping his entire body, so oppressive that he struggled to breathe.

In utter terror, he looked around wildly.

"This humble monk, Ran Deng, does not know which Saint I might have offended. Please grant your forgiveness."

An icy voice came through the air, "Ran Deng, do you still remember this seat?"

Judging from the voice, it was Tongtian Hierarch.

Ran Deng Buddha gasped, bowing in terror. "This humble monk was unaware of Your Excellency the Sect Hierarch’s presence. I have been greatly remiss; please forgive my offense."

"This humble monk does not know what I have done to incur the Sect Hierarch’s wrath. Please, quell your anger."

Cold sweat streamed down his face; he was petrified.

Tongtian Hierarch, however, made no further sound. The oppressive aura on Ran Deng Buddha fluctuated, at times strong, at times weak.

Eventually, it disappeared.

Ran Deng Buddha dared not relax, his nerves stretched taut. He looked around and tentatively called out a few times.

Receiving no response, he turned and left without hesitation, heading straight back to Lingjiu Mountain.

As for dealing with Sha Chen and his companion, that thought had been completely forgotten.

Ran Deng Buddha fled, utterly terrified. Even after returning to Lingjiu Mountain, a lingering fear still gripped him, his heart unsettled. It was only after reciting the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra hundreds of times that he gradually calmed down. Then, he pondered why Tongtian Hierarch had suddenly appeared there.

Ran Deng Buddha, however, was baffled. Tongtian Hierarch had just returned from the cosmic wilderness and was keeping a very low profile; few even knew of it. He was also busy gathering his former subordinates, imparting divine powers and cultivation techniques to his confidants, and rebuilding the major formations of the Sect of Interpretation, as well as its key locations. He should be incredibly busy, with no time for leisurely travels. And even if he were traveling, why would he reprimand him at that specific moment?

Ran Deng Buddha felt a chill. Could Tongtian Hierarch have ties with Sha Chen!?

After some thought, he found the notion terrifying. And yet, it seemed highly possible.

Sha Chen has risen rapidly recently, his strength improving by leaps and bounds as if by divine assistance. It seems his rise coincided with Tongtian Hierarch’s return from the cosmic wilderness, the timing being very close.

The more Ran Deng Buddha thought about it, the more frightened he became.

Could Sha Chen’s rise indeed be related to Tongtian Hierarch? If so, that would spell trouble; this old monk must be cautious.

Yet after a moment of deep thought, he shook his head again, feeling it was unlikely.

Furrowing his brow, he muttered to himself, Impossible, it should be impossible. Sha Chen is timid as a mouse and has never even left the Flowing Sand River. How could he possibly gain the favor of Tongtian Hierarch? Moreover, if he were a disciple of a Saint, receiving such favor from Tongtian Hierarch and with such rapid advancement in strength, he should be extremely ostentatious by now. How could he remain so cautious and fearful?

After some thought, Ran Deng Buddha felt that perhaps Sha Chen really had no connection with Tongtian Hierarch. After all, none of it made sense.

However, the timing of Sha Chen’s rise and Tongtian Hierarch’s return were remarkably similar—both just over a hundred years ago. Secondly, there must be some explanation for Sha Chen’s rise. Without a Saint’s support, a mere True Immortal, even one with great destiny, could not possibly reach the verge of entering the Daluo Golden Immortal Realm in just over a hundred years.

Although Ran Deng Buddha had not entered the Flowing Sand River Cave, he had sensed Sha Chen’s level of strength. He was at the peak of the Greater Primordial Golden Immortal realm, not yet a Daluo Golden Immortal. Such a cultivation base was heaven-defying; few in the world could achieve it. After the War of Divine Enthronement, not many among the beneficiaries from the Chan Sect had reached this level. Sha Chen was merely a Great General for Folding the Curtain. What virtue or ability did he possess to reach such a state in just over a hundred years!? Without a Saint’s support, Ran Deng Buddha refused to believe it.

Suddenly, Ran Deng Buddha gasped, a look of shock flashing in his eyes. His scalp tingled, and his gaze filled with terror.

He had thought of a possibility.

Perhaps Sha Chen truly doesn’t have much to do with Tongtian Hierarch. At the very least, they likely aren’t master and disciple. Otherwise, Sha Chen could leverage that relationship to make everyone under heaven afraid to offend him. Even the Jade Emperor wouldn’t dare to repeatedly cause him trouble, and the assembled immortals would certainly not dare to be overly critical. They might even have to curry favor with him. This means Sha Chen might not be Tongtian Hierarch’s disciple, but he could have received his assistance.

Under normal circumstances, he would never think this way. At this moment, however, he felt it was very likely.

The more Ran Deng Buddha pondered, the more plausible it seemed, and the more he felt it was highly possible. He knew Tongtian Hierarch disliked schemes and intrigues, but he wouldn’t engage in futile actions. Scaring him away was definitely not a spontaneous whim.

It was highly possible. He was very likely genuinely protecting Sha Chen. But Tongtian Hierarch hadn’t taken Sha Chen as a disciple. Perhaps he deemed Sha Chen unworthy, or maybe he wanted Sha Chen to willingly seek his patronage. After all, the world knew Sha Chen was a scripture pilgrim given to Buddhism by the Heavenly Court, one of the pillars of their public image. If Sha Chen were to seek refuge with Tongtian Hierarch, Buddhism would likely lose all face. That would be the best-case scenario. In the worst case, if Tongtian Hierarch cultivated Sha Chen and then infiltrated him into Buddhism as a spy, then Buddhism would be in grave danger.

Ran Deng Buddha felt this was extremely probable.

He wanted to find someone to discuss what to do about this matter. In all of Buddhism, however, the people he could discuss this with were few and far between. They were either not of high enough status or belonged to rival political factions. Buddhism, too, was rife with internal strife, divided into several factions, and he belonged to the Ancient Buddha faction. Within Buddhism, he was the second-ranking figure; in the absence of the Saints, he was the second in actual power. The number one figure, Tathagata, shared a superficial harmony with him. Ran Deng had always coveted the Buddha’s throne, but Tathagata had snatched it in the end. His heart was full of resentment; how could he possibly discuss this matter with Tathagata?

Ultimately, he could only discuss it with those who might be considered friends. He was determined not to tell Tathagata.

Secondly, he also didn’t plan to disrupt anything. The scripture pilgrimage was the overarching plan; it could not be disrupted. The chosen individuals were also long decided. Unless absolutely necessary, they would not be abandoned. Moreover, if he were to suggest that Sha Chen might be a problem, Tathagata wouldn’t believe him, nor would the neutral factions within Buddhism. At that time, he might even be branded by everyone as a saboteur of the great cause of the scripture pilgrimage, and he would lose all prestige within Buddhism.

「Flowing Sand River.」

Sha Chen had already received the reward sent by the system: three Shooting Sun Divine Arrows, which had also flown in from outside.

When Tianpeng saw them, he was completely dumbfounded. He was still terrified, his heart pounding with lingering fear, when he saw three Shooting Sun Divine Arrows fly in from outside. They were completely identical to the three Shooting Sun Divine Arrows he had seen in the hidden trove overseas. He was stunned.

At the same time, his expression became incredibly complex. "Old Sha," he said, "now I believe it. Your fortuitous encounters are truly enviable."

Sha Chen had said before that the Sky Shaking Bow had chosen him, not that he had snatched or plotted for it. Tianpeng originally didn’t believe it. But now, he had no choice but to believe. With this happening right before his eyes—the Shooting Sun Divine Arrows themselves had come seeking Sha Chen—what was there not to believe!?

Divine items possess spirits and will choose their own masters. Sha Chen was an enlightened master, so he gained the acknowledgment of both the Sky Shaking Bow and the Shooting Sun Divine Arrows.

Tianpeng’s eyes were red with envy. "Old Sha," he pleaded, "can you let me shoot just two arrows?"

Sha Chen said, "You wish! There are only three arrows in total, and you want to shoot two? Go shoot at a wall yourself."

Tianpeng said, "Old Sha, don’t be so stingy! I’ll use them to deal with that old baldy Ran Deng."

Sha Chen, however, chuckled. "No need. The man has already left. You wouldn’t be able to hit him."

Tianpeng was taken aback for a moment.

He scratched his head and said, "How can that be? That old monk only left a moment ago. He should still be lurking outside. How could he leave so easily?"

He didn’t believe it. Yet, he also felt that since someone as cautious and meticulous as Sha Chen believed Ran Deng Buddha had left, then he must have truly gone. Sha Chen simply had ways of knowing things that he didn’t.

At this moment, Sha Chen’s ears twitched. He activated his Downwind Ear Divine Power and listened carefully, indeed finding no problems outside. He also used his Divine Eyes to scrutinize the surroundings, still detecting no abnormalities.

The most convincing reason for him to believe Ran Deng Buddha had left, however, was the acquisition of the three Shooting Sun Divine Arrows.

Even so, Sha Chen had no intention of going out, nor did he plan to open the cave dwelling anytime soon. Even if Tianpeng wanted to leave, he wouldn’t open it at this time.

Tianpeng didn’t want to leave either. He still wanted to freeload at Sha Chen’s place, mooching food and drink. If he could also get some guidance from Sha Chen, that would be even better.

To Tianpeng’s disappointment, however, as Sha Chen grew richer, he also became increasingly miserly. Living here, Tianpeng actually had to pay rent. Otherwise, Sha Chen would make him endure the heavenly lightning strikes alongside him. That guy is no good!ŸŸŸ

Tianpeng had no choice but to accept the reality of paying rent and then settled down comfortably to stay.

However, after staying for half a month, he discovered that Sha Chen guarded the fields and the cellar so tightly that he had no way to scrounge anything. For his cultivation, he could only consume his own supplies, which was momentarily hard for him to accept.

"Old Sha, why are you guarding your things so closely?" Tianpeng grumbled. "There’s no need to guard against me like I’m a thief. It really hurts my feelings. You open the cellar door, remove the formation from the immortal fields—do you think I would actually go in?" Thɪs chapter is updated by novel★fire.net

Sha Chen chuckled. "You wouldn’t?"

Tianpeng declared righteously, "I wouldn’t! I absolutely, definitely wouldn’t!"