Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2280: 161: Duobao (Sleep Now!)

The sheer impact of the preceding events left Chen Zhongqi momentarily struck dumb, and it was little wonder why.

Despite the presence of numerous Bodhisattvas, Taoist Masters, and Arhats, none possessed the capability to restrain the Taoist standing before them.

They remained helpless spectators as this Taoist moved with total freedom, traversing the battlefield as if it were a deserted field. Even while being pursued, he had effortlessly struck down a Taoist Master—a figure equivalent in power to a Bodhisattva—right before their eyes.

In the span of barely a dozen breaths, he appeared to have completely crushed the spirit of the enemy host.

Chen realized that if he had been the one trapped in such a siege at the start, he would have been torn into bloody pieces long ago.

Though he was stunned, Chen Zhongqi did not forget his role as the representative of the Cloud Sky Realm. He quickly composed himself and performed a respectful salute, his voice carrying a new layer of deference:

“Chen Zhongqi of the Cloud Sky Sect, acting on my Master’s orders, has arrived to support Taoist Friend Taiyi. This location is unsafe for a continued stay; I invite you to enter the realm with me.”

A look of genuine admiration crossed Wang Ba’s face as he responded with visible pleasure:

“The prestigious reputation of the Cloud Sky Sect has reached my ears long ago, and I have always wished to visit. This is indeed a magnificent opportunity.”

Chen Zhongqi offered a thin smile: “Please, after you.”

“Please.”

While they were conversing, Wang Ba’s senses suddenly caught a disturbance. His pleasant expression vanished instantly, replaced by a grim tension: “Watch out!”

With a swift wave of his hand, he shoved Chen Zhongqi and the others aside.

Simultaneously, a ferocious shadow of a massive bird surged behind him. It let out a piercing cry as it was enveloped in a brilliant azure light, its wings beating with explosive force.

His form blurred as he vanished into the distance, his sudden burst of speed far exceeding his normal limits.

Almost at that exact moment, a violent and terrifying suction force erupted in the space he had just occupied.

Even though Chen Zhongqi and his companions had been pushed away from the center of the strike, they were still caught in the wake, their bodies tumbling uncontrollably through the void toward the source of the pull.

Having narrowly avoided the disaster, Wang Ba’s face darkened slightly. As the giant bird shadow behind him tucked its wings, he came to a halt. His instincts screaming, he spun around to face the threat.

In the void, a short distance from the Cloud Sky Realm, a familiar figure in gray robes slowly materialized. The monk stood with a solemn air, his sleeve raised slightly.

Upon seeing this gray-robed monk, Wang Ba’s heart plummeted: “Northern Great Bodhisattva!”

The gray-robed monk looked grim, clearly still suffering from the wounds inflicted by Heavenly Monarch Chao, who had previously severed half his body. Ignoring the drifting figures of Chen Zhongqi and the others, he kept his eyes locked on Wang Ba. His voice was raspy and filled with disbelief:

“How have you made such staggering progress in just a few short decades?!”

Despite his unhealed injuries, he had assumed that ambushing a cultivator in the early stages of the Tribulation Crossing stage would be trivial. Even if Wang Ba was exceptional for his level, the monk was no ordinary practitioner; after all, he had easily captured Wang Ba with a single thought during their previous encounter.

Yet, in this instance, his target had not only sensed the hidden strike but had managed to evade it in time.

Such sharp perception was a world away from the man he had known before.

“Mastering both Earth and Wind elements... your growth is truly alarming...”

A murderous glint flickered in the gray-robed monk’s eyes.

His form shifted, expanding into a colossal golden Buddha. The air filled with the sound of chanting sutras and brilliant Buddhist light as he reached out a hand toward Wang Ba.

Wang Ba’s expression turned grave. Not daring to be careless, he summoned the giant bird shadow once more. Bathed in azure light, he transformed into a streak of light and fled at top speed.

However, the Northern Great Bodhisattva was a being just a step below the Mahayana stage. Though the monk’s hand seemed to move slowly, and Wang Ba appeared to be flying away, Wang Ba’s perception told a different story: the environment around him seemed to be rushing forward.

No, it wasn’t the surroundings moving forward; he realized he was being pulled backward at high speed!

“He isn’t grabbing me—he’s seizing the void itself!”

In that moment of peril, a flash of insight struck Wang Ba’s mind.

The technique was straightforward, but with the monk’s overwhelming power, it was a force that could crush all other laws.

Suddenly, at that critical juncture...

Wang Ba caught sight of a purple light streaking past like a wild stallion. Immediately, the trembling void grew still.

The scenery that had been rushing past him froze in place.

This was followed immediately by the Northern Great Bodhisattva’s voice, which was now thick with fury and shock: “Bai Lechan!”

At the same time, a clear, resonant voice—sounding like the ringing of fine jade but carrying a note of concern—reached Wang Ba’s ears:

“Taoist Friend Taiyi, are you unharmed?”

Startled, Wang Ba turned toward the voice.

Standing between him and the Northern Great Bodhisattva was a young man clad in purple robes. He looked like a celestial deity, standing calmly with his hands clasped behind his back.

A fierce wind whipped around them, tossing his ink-black hair and the hem of his ornate purple robes.

The purple-robed youth remained composed, his indifferent gaze fixed on the agitated and flustered gray-robed monk in the distance.

Not even the presence of a Great Bodhisattva could dim this man’s natural authority.

Without any visible movement, those who had been caught in the suction, including Chen Zhongqi, were safely transported through the air to gather behind him.

Looking deeply embarrassed, Chen Zhongqi bowed hurriedly to the youth in purple: “This disciple is ashamed of his failure.”

“Step back and look after Taoist Friend Taiyi.”

The youth in purple gave a light wave of his sleeve. His focus never wavered from the gray-robed monk as the two powerhouses confronted each other across the emptiness of the void.

Chen Zhongqi rushed over to Wang Ba’s side.

“Bai Lechan... is he the Sect Master of the Cloud Sky Sect?”

Wang Ba watched the purple-robed youth, his heart filled with brief astonishment.

He had heard of the Cloud Sky Sect Master back at Zhang’s Ruins. However, because the world focused so heavily on True Man Gai—the Mahayana Cultivator of the Cloud Sky Sect—Sect Leader Bai often seemed overshadowed. Since True Man Gai had long ago retreated from worldly matters, little was known of Bai Lechan, making him appear unremarkable in comparison.

But seeing him now, Wang Ba truly felt the staggering power of this man who had kept such a low profile.

In his estimation, this man’s strength was not inferior even to a fully healed Northern Great Bodhisattva.