Chapter 172: Chapter 172

Tianpeng was very angry.

Sha Chen guarded against him like a thief, which hurt him deeply. Not only was his spirit wounded, but he was also injured by the Formations when he went to the storage room or the Immortal Fields to take some things. So, he asserted righteously that he wouldn’t steal.

But Sha Chen was unmoved. Just because he paid room rent, does he expect to freeload for food and drinks? Do I look like a big sucker?

With no choice left, Tianpeng said, "Since you and I, as brothers, have such distrust in each other, there’s nothing I can do. You’ve hurt my heart; surely you must compensate me a bit?"

Sha Chen chuckled, still unmoved.

Tianpeng went on, "When I travel outside, I’m always being hunted down. Alas, I’m of low status and weak power, unable to fight back. If I had a Great Magical Tool or Great Divine Power, I could barely resist a little."

While speaking, he sneakily glanced at Sha Chen and added, "Old Sha, you don’t know how miserable I’ve been out there."

"I’ve got nothing and even got captured and beaten, completely powerless to fight back."

Sha Chen asked, "Aren’t you the one who, when surrounded and attacked by a group, remains unruffled and refuses to give in?"

Tianpeng replied, "Old Sha, stop mocking me. I was tied up when they beat me."

Sha Chen chuckled. Has the pig-headed fool finally admitted it?

Then, Tianpeng began to lay it on thick, getting so emotional he couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Sha Chen pulled over a bench, picked up some fried popcorn chicken, poured himself a warm pot of good wine, and drank it by himself, listening to Tianpeng’s sob story. He nodded and answered from time to time with a "Then what?"

At the points in Tianpeng’s story meant to be the most moving, Sha Chen couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

With a look of sorrow, Tianpeng said, "Old Sha, do you really have to be ? It’s fine for you to eat popcorn chicken and drink wine while I’m pouring my heart out, but why laugh when I speak of my suffering?"

Sha Chen tried to hold back his laughter and said, "I’m sorry, I don’t usually laugh, unless I can’t help it."

Then, he burst into raucous laughter.

It was simply because although Tianpeng had really been in a sorry state, he always managed to escape disaster by the skin of his teeth, which made Sha Chen laugh involuntarily. Usually, Cultivation was somewhat boring. Now that he had someone acting miserable to listen to, he naturally found it very entertaining.

Tianpeng felt deeply hurt. Sha Chen was too heartless—Tianpeng was playing the sad sack, and Sha Chen couldn’t even muster a few words of comfort. So be it. Sha Chen still listened with relish, and not only that, he had to laugh.

I was *this* close to being roasted like a suckling pig and almost beaten to death; any bystander not breaking into tears would already seem heartless as stone. Yet Sha Chen was able to eat and even laugh.

Right away, Tianpeng felt that this friendship was over. Overcome with melancholy, he said, "Old Sha, just open the gate of the cave. I won’t stay; I’m going back to Fuling Mountain."

Sha Chen felt a pang of guilt and said, "You’re going to return empty-handed just like that?"

Tianpeng sighed, "What can I do? If I’m not welcome here, there must be a place where I am."

Sha Chen said, "That makes sense, but as your brother, I can’t be at ease if you just leave ."

Tianpeng felt a glimmer of happiness in his heart. At least you have a conscience and worry about me.

After thinking it over, Sha Chen said, "How about this, I’ll pick you some vegetables, cut a few slices of meat, and pack a few jars of wine for you to take back."

Then he went to prepare.

Tianpeng was on the verge of crying. He stumbled as he turned, tripping himself, and fell in front of Sha Chen. He grabbed Sha Chen’s thigh, pressing his face close, tears streaming down instantaneously.

"WAH, Old Sha, I’m so pitiful, how can you remain so cold-hearted? Our past brotherhood, our camaraderie, have you fed them to the dogs?"

"If I return now, what should I do if I encounter Kui Mulang? The mountain is high, and the road is long; even your excellent archery can’t save me anymore."

Sha Chen looked at him with disgust and said, "You were the one who said you were leaving, and you’re also the one who’s refusing to go. What exactly do you want?"

Tianpeng said, "Brother, I’m poor. I really can’t afford to cultivate anymore; the outside world is full of enemies. If I go out now, wouldn’t that be like throwing me into the fire?"

"Even if you’re unwilling to give me some Cultivation resources, you should at least provide me with some Magical Tools or teach me a few divine techniques, so it wouldn’t be in vain that I called you brother."

Sha Chen chuckled and helped him up, saying, "Let me go. Your ’brother’ comes at too high a price; I can’t afford it."

Then he added, "I was wondering what you wanted; turns out you wanted Magical Tools and Divine Powers. You should have said so earlier."

Tianpeng said excitedly, "If I had said it earlier, would you have given them to me?"

Sha Chen laughed and replied, "If you had said it earlier, I would have rejected you sooner, saving you the anticipation."

Then he shook off Tianpeng’s hand and kicked him away. This guy is too greedy, coveting my Magical Tools—he’s truly overestimating our brotherly bond.

Tianpeng, having been kicked away, hurriedly pounced again, saying, "Old Sha, Old Sha, we’re brothers! I’ll call you Big Bro Sha from now on! It’s fine if you don’t give me Magical Tools, just teach me Divine Power spells."

"I see you’ve made progress in your Cultivation and must possess vast Divine Powers; teach me some skills."

Sha Chen snorted, "If you want to learn, I won’t teach you for free." He has quite a few followers, and Tianpeng is the only miserly one who could compare to me. Without a hint, he’d remain clueless; without a slap, he’d remain blind. After being away for so long, he just wants to eat and drink my resources, oblivious to the fact that he has a load of them himself, always eyeing the little I have here. It’s too much. Without making him cough up something, he won’t understand the difficulty of acquisition.

Tianpeng said, "Old Sha, I’m so poor that I have only my good looks left. What can I give you?"

Sha Chen chuckled, "Cut the nonsense. You have at least five Qiankun Bags on you, and each is filled to the brim with resources—not much less than what I have now." My Cultivation consumes a vast amount of resources. Though I have plenty, the consumption is even greater, so I’m often in a state of poverty.

But Tianpeng was different. This fellow also had great luck and frequently engaged in burglary, murder, and extermination outside. He made a pretty penny, but his Cultivation didn’t consume much. Tianpeng was rather lazy. Without supervision, he would slack off whenever possible in his Cultivation, thereby amassing a substantial fortune. Yet upon returning, he was exceedingly stingy and unwilling to part with anything. Even when paying rent to Sha Chen, he would present ten Spiritual Medicine plants but only actually hand over seven. His extreme miserliness was infuriating. Sha Chen had more than once muttered under his breath, All the misers in the world should be killed. Not slaughtering a fat pig like him is a disservice to my own exquisite knife skills.

Tianpeng knew that unless he bled, Sha Chen wouldn’t teach him, so he bit the bullet and suggested, "If you teach me the 72 Polymorphic Transformations, I’ll give you one-tenth of all my resources."

Sha Chen replied, "I want half of what you have on you."

Tianpeng retorted, "Old Sha, even if we’re just surface-level brothers, don’t be so cruel. Are you after my resources or my life?"

Sha Chen chuckled, "Go and try to become a disciple under a Saint to learn the 72 Polymorphic Transformations. See if they agree easily."

He patted Tianpeng on the shoulder. "Not only would you have to hand over all the resources you currently have, but you’d probably have to offer several times that before they might consider teaching you even half."

Tianpeng also knew that Divine Powers were not easily mastered. Indeed, as Sha Chen said, seeking a master and learning would take a long time, not to mention the substantial fees involved, and in the end, they might not even agree to teach him. After all, if you became a disciple, whatever the master felt like teaching was up to their mood. What you got to learn depended on what they were willing to teach, not like now, with Tianpeng proactively asking to learn the 72 Polymorphic Transformations.

Sha Chen advised, "Think it over carefully. I believe you have the talent, and if you truly dedicate yourself to your studies, your future will be boundless."

Actually, teaching Tianpeng the 72 Polymorphic Transformations is a losing deal for me. After all, countless people yearn to learn it but have neither the chance nor the ability. I’m only doing this on account of our relationship. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t even have the right to mention it. Of course, the most important reason for teaching him is that this thing is already being doled out in bulk—there’s no point hoarding it; better to repurpose the waste. Since Tianpeng wants to learn, it’s an opportunity to fleece him. At the same time, it will encourage Tianpeng to cultivate diligently, sparing me the troubles and chaos caused by his aimless wandering. After learning, his strength will grow, which will help him stand against Buddhism for longer.

Even if Tianpeng hadn’t brought it up, Sha Chen would have found an opportunity to impart the Divine Power spells to him. It was just that Tianpeng was so darn miserly that Sha Chen couldn’t stand it. After being away for decades and returning to eat and drink his fill, it was too much for Tianpeng to try to take Sha Chen’s stuff for free. I just can’t reconcile not making him bleed a little. Moreover, many of these resources are useless to Tianpeng himself; only when I refine them into Immortal Pills or absorb them with my Devouring Divine Power will they not go to waste. I feel that I’m indeed helping Tianpeng—the merit is immeasurable.

Tianpeng bargained, "Old Sha, what about one-third? Teach me the 72 Polymorphic Transformations. We’re brothers after all, leave me something."

After some haggling, they agreed that Tianpeng would hand over two-fifths of his resources, and Sha Chen would teach him the 72 Polymorphic Transformations.

Once they reached an agreement, Sha Chen immediately taught him the Divine Power. Tianpeng, though with a headache, handed over the resources. Sha Chen’s storeroom instantly became a mountain of wealth, and he had ample resources once more. Most of this will have to be refined into special Immortal Pills or exchanged for the necessary Cultivation resources. Sha Chen was unconcerned with this detail; surely these items would be exchanged for enough or even more resources for Cultivation.

Sha Chen breezily taught Tianpeng the 72 Polymorphic Transformations. Tianpeng’s aptitude was quite good, and he mastered it in half a year. As for Sha Chen, in the meantime, he showcased the Spirit Summoning Decree, a Dao Technique for strengthening the Primordial Spirit.

Tianpeng was eager to learn and subsequently offered most of what was left of his assets in exchange. Thus, he was left with hardly anything.

But Sha Chen was not yet done with him, offering to guide his practice.

Tianpeng protested, "Old Sha, forget guiding my practice. You’re just at the peak of Greater Primordial Golden Immortal, and I’ve already reached the mid-stage. We’re not so different; how can you guide me?"

Sha Chen recited a passage from the Daluo Chapter of Tao Te Ching, and Tianpeng was dumbstruck with amazement.

Without a second word, he knelt on the ground, clasping Sha Chen’s thighs. "Old Sha, teach me, I was wrong."

Sha Chen chuckled, ready to mock him, but suddenly his body burst into divine radiance. Three flowers converged atop his head, and five qi coalesced within his chest: Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, Five Qi Toward the Primordial.

The sign of ascending to Daluo Golden Immortal.

Tianpeng watched, completely dumbfounded, his face green with envy.

"No way, you’re about to break through to Daluo Golden Immortal now!?"

Sha Chen smiled and quickly found a place to sit in meditation, consuming a large amount of resources to gather Mana in preparation for any potential necessity. He inwardly chuckled, It seems that the Refining of Honghuang Daluo Qi has finally taken full effect, and my deeper understanding of the Daluo Chapter of Tao Te Ching will allow me to break through in one fell swoop.