Despite his status as a grandmaster, the white-robed elder was completely ignorant of the Sea of Chaos Realm. Listening to Wang Ba’s explanation, a look of profound shock crossed his face.
Though the Sea of Chaos Realm enforced strict limitations, preventing the birth of Crossing Tribulation Cultivators, its potential was undeniable. If one were to handpick the elites from those forces and escort them beyond the Duanhai Cliff for rigorous training, it would be a simple matter to produce a legion of Crossing Tribulation Cultivators over time.
They wouldn't even need individual peak power. As long as they functioned like the five hundred Arhats organized by the Northern Great Bodhisattva, even a Mahayana Cultivator could be ensnared and defeated if they grew careless.
The sheer terror of such a prospect was staggering; the elder felt his pulse quicken just contemplating the strategic implications!
A sudden realization dawned on him:
“Since the Little Cang World is imprisoned within the Sea of Chaos Realm, it is understandable that your focus is fractured... You have exerted such immense effort to flee that Realm Sea specifically to find someone capable of shattering the Duanhai Cliff from the outside?”
Wang Ba nodded solemnly, his gaze filled with expectation as he looked at the senior.
“I beg of you, Senior Chao, please point me toward a path.”
However, the elder’s reply caused Wang Ba’s spirits to plummet instantly.
The white-robed elder shook his head with a heavy expression.
“Regarding the destruction of the Duanhai Cliff, my advice is to put it out of your mind entirely...”
Fearing his tone wasn't firm enough, he emphasized:
“It is impossible!”
“This... May I ask why that is the case, Senior?”
Wang Ba could tell there was a deeper meaning behind the elder's words, but his confusion only grew, forcing him to press for an answer.
The elder simply continued to shake his head.
“There is no need for you to dwell on that... Instead, focus your thoughts on whether there is a chance to seize control of the exit at the realm sea vortex.”
“I will relay the details of this situation to Gai and the others shortly.”
“Gai... Do you mean True Man Gai of the Cloud Sky Realm?”
Still clinging to a shred of hope, Wang Ba asked:
“Would it be possible for you to take me with you, Senior?”
He hoped to locate the Chongyuan Patriarch of the Cloud Sky Realm to see if a collective solution could be reached.
“You?”
The elder looked thoughtful for a moment before responding.
“You could accompany me, however...”
He scrutinized Wang Ba from head to toe, eventually giving a slight shake of his head.
“The Supreme True Buddha has been plotting for an age. He previously laid a trap for me, and it likely won't be long before he initiates a campaign against the Cloud Sky Realm. Your current strength is insufficient; rushing there now would serve no purpose.”
Wang Ba found himself at a loss for words.
He felt his progress had been meteoric since stepping into the Crossing Tribulation Realm. Even excluding his various Dao Treasures, his Dao Domain alone was nearly on par with a mid-stage Crossing Tribulation Cultivator. Yet, in the presence of Mahayana Cultivators, his growth did indeed seem trivial.
Then again, how many Mahayana Cultivators actually existed within the vastness of the Realm Sea?
Even late-stage Crossing Tribulation Cultivators were a rarity.
Traveling to the Cloud Sky Realm shouldn't have been an issue.
However, unable to argue with Senior Chao’s assessment, Wang Ba could only cup his hands respectfully.
“I ask for your guidance then, Senior.”
“It isn't a matter of guidance.”
Though Wang Ba had declined the elder's invitation to join his world, the old man held no grudge. He remained composed, stroking his white beard.
“Even if you refuse to join my Canlong Realm, you saved my life. Saving me is equivalent to saving the Canlong Realm itself, so my previous offer remains valid... Are you interested in learning the Beast Taming Technique of my Canlong Realm?”
“A Beast Taming Technique?!”
Wang Ba’s pulse raced. He immediately envisioned the thousand-headed beast that had recently mauled the Northern Great Bodhisattva. Abandoning all hesitation, he bowed deeply.
“I am deeply grateful, Senior!”
The elder smiled and gestured with a wave of his hand.
“No need for such formality. Sit.”
A futon materialized before Wang Ba, and the two sat facing each other.
With a gentle beckon from the elder, the surrounding void filled with the manifestations of countless demonic beasts. They snarled and brandished claws, their auras ranging mostly from the Eighth Tier to a few in the Seventh Tier.
Sensing Wang Ba as an outsider, the beasts hissed and spat, yet they turned into submissive pets the moment they looked toward the elder.
The variety was staggering: serpents, predatory birds, beasts of prey, and insects.
Nearly every Spirit Beast Wang Ba had ever encountered was represented among these demonic entities.
The white-robed elder reached out a hand, and the beasts scrambled to lick it affectionately.
He looked up at Wang Ba and spoke softly:
“This technique is known as ‘Ten Thousand Beasts Unbridled.’”
Suddenly, the swarm of demonic beasts surrounding the elder began to merge and overlap at high speed!
In a flash, a singular beast with a lion-like frame and thousands of heads appeared. It quickly shrank to the size of a common lion and settled obediently at the elder's side, looking perfectly docile.
What shocked Wang Ba to his core was that the aura emanating from this beast was nearly equal to that of the elder himself!
“It possesses immense physical strength but lacks the necessary realm; against a true Mahayana Cultivator, it would struggle more than it would succeed.”
Reading the shock on Wang Ba’s face, the elder offered a faint smile.
Wang Ba’s eyes, however, were glowing with excitement!
The ability to fuse Seventh and Eighth Tier beasts to create a Ninth-Tier entity was nothing short of a miracle for a Beast Taming Cultivator.
“It is not as simple as it looks.”
The elder, seemingly able to peer into Wang Ba's mind, shook his head slightly.
“Though the name implies these beasts are ‘unbridled’ or without reins, there are indeed reins. These restraints are formless, governed entirely by the heart.”
