Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2306: 169: Celebration (Correction – This Chapter Is Supplemental)_2

The logic behind this decision was easy to grasp with just a moment's reflection.

Wang Ba had not disregarded the situation, but listening to the proposal from Sect Leader Bai, he showed a trace of hesitation and remarked:

“I am ashamed. It was merely a minor success that barely impacts the broader conflict. If we organize such a lavish event, is there a risk that people will let their guard down?”

The youth clad in purple robes offered a gentle smile upon hearing this.

A nearby Cultivator chuckled and interjected:

“Fellow Daoist Taiyi, your assessment is incorrect. That previous engagement was no minor victory; it was a monumental triumph. By your strength alone, five Great Bodhisattvas were crushed, and the lingering sense of defeat was washed away. You proved to everyone that while the Supreme True Buddha is formidable, he is not invincible. Most of those gathered here came to provide aid just as we did, making confidence our most vital resource. So long as the hearts of the people remain firm, the overall situation is full of hope. Thus, calling it a minor victory is an understatement.”

The purple-robed youth nodded in agreement with those words and added:

“Fellow Daoist Er speaks the truth. The human heart is like water; if it cannot be unified, it is easily scattered by external pressure. However, if it freezes into an ice shard, it can shatter any barrier… Fellow Daoist Taiyi, your triumph has transformed everyone from water into ice. How could that be anything less than a grand victory?”

Faced with this, Wang Ba could only offer a helpless cupped-fist salute:

“Then I shall follow your lead, Daoist Brother.”

The group broke into laughter at his response.

“Furthermore, your five consecutive triumphs have earned you fourteen billion Cloud Shells. The specific resources you requested from the treasury have already been set aside for you.”

The purple-robed youth suddenly sent this message via divine sense transmission.

Momentarily stunned, Wang Ba soon smiled and nodded, replying through transmission:

“My thanks, Daoist Brother.”

He had previously presented six top-grade Dao Treasures to his counterpart with several strategic intentions in mind.

First, he understood that even if Sect Leader Bai accepted the gifts, circumstances would prevent him from keeping them all. He needed to provide the other party with enough "face" and room to maneuver. By offering six instead of just a few, he demonstrated deep gratitude while allowing the Sect Leader to redistribute them, maintaining a perfect social balance.

Second, as the proverb goes, the tallest tree is the first to be felled by the gale. Having just crushed five Bodhisattvas, he was currently the center of attention. While no one dared challenge him now, once the fervor died down, his collection of high-tier Dao Treasures might incite greed. Open hostility is easy to face, but hidden daggers are difficult to parry; thus, having fewer coveted items was safer. By gifting all six Dao Treasures publicly, he strengthened his ties with the Cloud Sky Realm while ridding himself of potential trouble.

Thirdly, despite the rarity of these top-grade Dao Treasures, they were of no personal use to him. If he saved them for the Little Cang World, it might be ages before anyone could actually wield them. Their value in Cloud Shells wasn't significantly higher than what he could earn by simply fighting more Bodhisattvas.

In contrast, donating them to the Cloud Sky Realm yielded various intangible benefits, making it a wise trade.

Naturally, he also had the public good in mind.

What he hadn't anticipated was that Sect Leader Bai would return the favor so rapidly.

Being granted entry into the Cloud Sky Sect’s Qianguang Cave to comprehend the “Returning All Streams to the Sect” Primordial Spirit Skill had already been one of his most significant rewards.

The treasures reserved for him in the vault were merely the extra perks of cultivating a friendship with the Cloud Sky Sect.

As for the sheer quantity of Cloud Shells, he no longer felt much concern for such things.

The group shared a laugh as they headed toward the site of the feast.

As they walked, countless Cultivators offered salutations to the group, directing their most respectful bows toward Wang Ba.

A typical Rogue Cultivator might have been intimidated by such reverence, but Wang Ba was a former domain lord with extensive experience. Even though the Cultivators here held high status, he viewed them as equals, responding with a calm and welcoming demeanor that made others feel at ease.

The mood within the Daoist Field did not feel like the eve of a cataclysmic war; instead, it was filled with a sense of relaxation and joy.

However, Wang Ba noticed that the sentries at the edges of the Daoist Field had not been reduced. In fact, they had been bolstered significantly, proving that the Cloud Sky Sect had not lowered its guard against the Supreme True Buddha.

This observation brought Wang Ba a measure of relief.

Yet, seeing that the density of Cultivators within the field had increased, he grew concerned and asked:

“Daoist Brother Bai, has every Cultivator in the domain gathered here?”

The purple-robed youth nodded and explained:

“Indeed. For years, the Sects of this domain have been exhausted from guarding the domain nodes in their own lands. With this massive victory, we cannot simply let them watch us celebrate from afar. I sent out invitations to ensure the entire domain participates in this celebration.”

“Is this not a bit excessive? What if it leads to an opening…”

Wang Ba felt the urge to challenge the decision again, but he kept his voice silent, choosing instead to send his query through a voice transmission.

The purple-robed youth smiled at Wang Ba’s caution and replied:

“There is no cause for alarm. Even if the Supreme True Buddha strikes, every person here is a Cultivator. They can return to their defensive posts in an instant with a single thought. Furthermore, this is not the entire population, so do not worry.”

Wang Ba nodded slightly at the explanation.

He pushed the worry aside for the moment.

Following the purple-robed youth, he headed straight for the banquet grounds.

The feast was arranged across a cluster of mountain peaks in the heart of the Daoist Field. To accommodate the massive crowd, the summits had been leveled flat. The central peak, the largest of them all, acted as the primary stage, while the surrounding peaks served as secondary venues.

Since he had just left his secluded meditation, many Cultivators were already taking their seats.

Those at the Void Refining, Unification, and Tribulation Crossing stages were positioned on the main peak. Meanwhile, the rising stars of the Immortal Ascension and Nascent Soul stages had also been invited, seated in the surrounding areas.

Wang Ba was genuinely struck by the sheer scale of the gathering.

As he stepped into the venue, a wave of Cultivators approached him. Wang Ba suppressed his wandering thoughts and greeted them with a polite smile. However, mid-sentence, he felt a sudden intuition. He turned his head instinctively and froze.

In the middle of the throng, he spotted a familiar figure in moon-white robes. Standing next to Chen Zhongqi and a red-clothed youth who also looked familiar, the figure was staring back at him with an expression of pure shock on an otherwise stoic face.

“Grandmaster?”

The person seemed equally stunned before crying out with a mixture of shock and delight:

“Is that… Wang Ba?!”

Wang Ba quickly excused himself from the surrounding Cultivators and pushed through the crowd. He looked at the crane-haired Daoist in moon-white robes and a jade hairpin with a heart full of joy.

It was unexpected, yet it made sense.

After more than two millennia, across the Immortal Forbidden Land and the Sea of Chaos, spanning unimaginable distances, he had finally found a familiar Elder from his Sect here in the Cloud Sky Realm.

The Daoist was none other than Hui Yunzi.

Hui Yunzi stared at Wang Ba, his disbelief mirrored by a joy that was hard to put into words, though tinged with anxiety. Under the stunned gazes of Chen Zhongqi and the red-clothed youth, he lunged forward, grabbed Wang Ba’s arm, and hissed urgently:

“You have ascended as well? How fares the Little Cang World? Has the crisis of the Chaos Origin Substance been resolved? What of the Sect?”

The surrounding Cultivators were stunned by the sight!

A mere early-stage Unification Cultivator had the audacity to grab the sleeve of the great True Man Taiyi so casually.

However, the onlookers were perceptive. They quickly saw the emotional flicker in True Man Taiyi’s eyes, realizing the two shared a history. The crowd fell into a hushed, curious silence, wondering how a powerhouse like Taiyi could be linked to a Unification practitioner. Some even whispered that the man might be Taiyi’s descendant.

Wang Ba was oblivious to the rumors circulating among the crowd. He carefully suppressed his protective Qi to ensure he didn't accidentally harm Hui Yunzi. Faced with the barrage of questions, he found himself momentarily speechless; he had endured too much on his journey to know where to begin.

Before he could respond, Hui Yunzi’s initial rush of emotion subsided. Regaining his composure, he stepped back, looked Wang Ba up and down, and his expression shifted. He glanced at the powerful figures standing respectfully behind Wang Ba, and the realization finally hit him with a jolt of shock:

“No… it can’t be… are *you* True Man Taiyi?!”

Wang Ba gave a subtle shake of his head:

“Grandmaster, please, just use my name.”

Despite the humble redirection, Hui Yunzi could hear the silent confirmation in Wang Ba’s tone.

His soul was shaken to its core.

Wang Ba’s attention shifted slightly to the red-clothed youth standing behind Hui Yunzi, who was watching the exchange with wide-eyed wonder. Recognizing the youth's features, Wang Ba felt a stir of recognition, having already surmised who he was.

Hui Yunzi quickly moved to introduce them:

“This is the Qitian Patriarch.”