Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2316: 172: Another Showdown (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Wang Ba executed intricate hand seals, fine-tuning the Formation while his Primordial Spirit hovered over his Xin Gate.
It manifested as an empty void, turbulent and shadowy, resembling a devouring black hole.
The other nine Primordial Spirits got warped by the Formation's pull, gathering near this dark abyss.
The Primordial Spirits belonging to nine mid-stage Crossing Tribulation experts were truly staggering!
A torrent of Primordial Spirit energy crashed into the black hole like raging rivers in flood, but it failed to disturb the void around it in the least.
Witnessing this spectacle, everyone in the Taoist Field stood stunned, at a complete loss for words!
The Formation expert surnamed Gongsun cried out in shock:
“Why would Fellow Daoist Taiyi act so rashly! By letting the Primordial Spirits enter the Formation and fuse together, it links their minds and souls, but it also crushes the Primordial Spirits of nine onto the core figure—how could anyone endure that pressure!”
The young man in purple robes showed a hint of strain on his face as he watched Wang Ba, whose demeanor stayed composed and steady; at last, he pushed down his inner concerns and murmured:
“Whatever Fellow Daoist Taiyi is doing, there must be a purpose behind it. Let's observe for the moment.”
After catching the purple-robed young man's firm assurance, the crowd eased up somewhat, though anxiety and anticipation lingered.
Within the water screen, the battlefield had already shifted dramatically.
The moment the Great Buddha Dharma Aspect spotted Wang Ba setting up the array, it barreled ahead with savage force.
Refusing any trace of arrogance or restraint, ten supreme Dao Treasures swirled around it; directed by ten Bodhisattvas, they hurtled toward Wang Ba's ten-member Formation like shooting stars!
Right then, the Primordial Spirits of the nine mid-stage Crossing Tribulation cultivators plunged into Wang Ba's own, instantly syncing their thoughts and channeling their power freely; the Dao Domain rules of all ten began to layer over each other, blending seamlessly into Wang Ba's Yellow Dao Domain.
Without delay, nine elite Dao Treasures burst from Wang Ba's sleeve, clashing head-on with the approaching ones.
As for the ten-person Formation, it darted with blinding speed; despite the ten individuals involved, no disorder arose, moving in perfect unity as they faced the oncoming Great Buddha—the Formation shifted, and near the Primordial Spirit's black hole, the nine other Primordial Spirits all shaped hand seals in unison; abruptly, True Man Ba extended to meet them, as if the entire ten-man array stretched out an arm, raising a palm to slam against the Great Buddha!
Within that palm, the Yellow Dao Domain roiled endlessly before swiftly shifting to crimson; a dense Fire Style rule burst forth, raging wildly as if scorching the very emptiness!
The Bodhisattvas inside the Great Buddha merged their efforts, brimming with assurance against the array, utterly fearless; upon seeing True Man Ba's assault, they lifted their own hands to counter.
From the observers' view,
it looked like a rift tore through space as Wang Ba's ten-person Formation smashed fiercely into the Great Buddha!
The instant after, flames erupted in a blaze, casting a glassy sheen across the Great Buddha Dharma Aspect; the massive figure trembled faintly, shockingly starting to scorch and dissolve!
“Impossible!”
Deep within the Great Buddha Dharma Aspect, the ten Bodhisattvas reeled in horror!
The enemy's ten-person Formation delivered a blow of unbelievable might.
Almost at once, Wang Ba's Formation morphed once more; another cultivator thrust forward, rapidly dyeing the Yellow Dao Domain verdant in his grasp, unleashing gales and surges like towering peaks and vast oceans, layering atop the flames.
Suddenly, wind and fire whipped into a frenzy, swallowing the Great Buddha whole!
The Great Buddha Dharma Aspect's exterior crumpled swiftly.
Next, yet another hand shot out, drawing on the might of the remaining nine; the Yellow Dao Domain darkened to pitch black in a flash, dropping like a massive mallet!
Before the mallet could fully descend, someone else took over; without even landing a hit, an icy chill spread, as if draining every spark of light from sight…
The ten-person Formation whirled like a razor edge, slicing relentlessly into the Great Buddha.
Guided by Wang Ba, the ten-person Formation flowed as smoothly as an arm's extension; each member tapped fully into the others' strength, pushing their combined might to the peak with every attack, hitting the absolute ceiling of what the array could achieve.
Right now, this felt less like a group of ten in formation and more like a master of magical combat dismantling a bulky, awkward Great Buddha all by himself.
In just a handful of breaths, the Great Buddha shattered entirely, revealing the ten Bodhisattvas as they scattered in desperate flight.
Still, Wang Ba's ten-person Formation snagged a top-grade Dao Treasure fragment—who knew which hapless Bodhisattva had dropped it.
At this sight, the Taoist Field's cultivators could hardly believe their eyes.
They had imagined countless scenarios, but none included True Man Taiyi stepping in to effortlessly demolish the rival ten-person Formation.
Soon, elation swept through them!
Just a handful of late-stage Crossing Tribulation experts furrowed their brows in thought, then gained sudden insight:
“In a true ten-against-ten Formation clash, we'd never stand a chance against the Supreme True Buddha's Bodhisattvas, so Fellow Daoist Taiyi cleverly linked their Primordial Spirits, truly uniting ten as one; that makes it more like a duel between two magical combatants, and since they have plenty of weaknesses, they can't hope to match Fellow Daoist Taiyi.”
“That said, this works only because Fellow Daoist Taiyi can handle the Primordial Spirits of the other nine—no one else could pull it off.”
They offered genuine respect.
A cultivator's Primordial Spirit forms their vital core; only a robust Primordial Spirit can support the Dao Domain and its rules, so every Crossing Tribulation expert treats the Primordial Spirit with the same care as their Dao Domain, refining it with utmost diligence.
Under these conditions, even if True Man Taiyi's cultivation level lags a touch behind theirs, he managed to absorb the others' Primordial Spirits into his, enabling flawless teamwork among ten, operating in total harmony—an astonishing feat, beyond ordinary comprehension.
The purple-robed young man shared the surprise; earlier, he had probed Wang Ba's Primordial Spirit and knew it was powerful, though not exceptionally refined, yet this display exceeded all expectations.
“Did he gain something in the Qianguang Cave?”
He wondered to himself.
While lost in reflection, the rival Supreme True Buddha dispatched challengers to the field anew.
This round, even the former group's leader, Wisdom Truth, joined the fray personally.
Yet the outcome barely varied.
The Supreme True Buddha's Bodhisattvas possessed real prowess, but against Wang Ba's masterful ten-person Formation, they resembled lumbering behemoths with mismatched movements.
Wang Ba's ten-person Formation, with thoughts in perfect sync, unleashed the array's full potential in every action, leaving them far behind.
It was akin to a skilled butcher carving an ox—slipping through gaps effortlessly, without a scratch.
Especially after fearing another loss of Dao Treasures, the Bodhisattvas wielded theirs with extreme caution, making it even harder to resist Wang Ba; after a short clash, they routed and escaped.
Wang Ba required no substitutions, advancing straight to the following bout.
As expected, three straight wins turned the lopsided challenge match into a quick, uneventful wrap-up.
The Supreme True Buddha's monks stared toward the Cloud Sky Realm, the mood heavy and tense; the Eastern Great Bodhisattva said nothing, withdrawing grimly.
As the Supreme True Buddha's forces pulled back yet again, cheers erupted across the Taoist Field.
Cloud Sky Sect members threw a grand feast to honor Wang Ba's successive victories in the Supreme True Buddha's challenge.
The Taoist Field brimmed once more with buoyant cheer and delight.
Nevertheless, both Wang Ba and the purple-robed young man lingered by the water screen, faces etched with gravity.
Twice now, they had crushed the Supreme True Buddha decisively, buying True Man Gai precious extra time—which ought to count as positive, but should the Supreme True Buddha see these challenges failing to rattle the three Mahayanas, what drastic steps might the monks take?
Wang Ba felt unsure, detecting that some huge shift loomed close.
“How much more time does True Man Gai require…”
Wang Ba's tone dipped low, betraying his unease.
The purple-robed young man eyed the water screen, arms folded behind his back, his mind veiled, and answered in a hushed voice:
“They require further chances…”
“Chances?”
What kind of chances?
Wang Ba's brow creased; hadn't they mentioned crafting an artifact to oppose the Tianshang Buddha Lord? What more chances could be needed?
Confusion swirled in his thoughts.
But right then,
the purple-robed young man murmured suddenly:
“Fellow Daoist Taiyi, as the Heavenly Monarch's personal disciple, should trouble arise… make sure you know the way to withdraw.”
In the water screen, strange glows danced, illuminating his divine, stunning yet enigmatic features.
Wang Ba took in the words, and his heart plummeted.