Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2317 - 173: Breaking the Boundaries

"Bai Lechan serves as the head of a renowned sect, and he's even the unspoken ruler of the Cloud Sky Realm. Then why on earth would he back off when facing tough situations?"

Wang Ba occupied the immortal cave specially set up for him by the Cloud Sky Sect, his mind swirling with blatant bewilderment.

Next to him, Hui Yunzi furrowed his brow a bit:

"Maybe this assault from the Supreme True Buddha hits harder than the previous ones. Even Sect Leader Bai and his allies lack the assurance to hold it off..."

"Without the confidence to fight back, how come the celebration feast outside buzzes with such energy?"

Wang Ba gestured toward the outdoors, shaking his head while commenting:

"In my shoes, if I couldn't overpower them and escape was blocked by this territory, I'd exhaust every trick to boost the power of every cultivator here, aiming to deal the heaviest blow to the foes and make them wary enough to avoid crossing the Thunder Pool even slightly."

"Yet the Cloud Sky Sect throws parties after each win. If past festivities lifted spirits, then summoning so many cultivators now for this wild celebration feels like they're scared the Supreme True Buddha might miss it. Something strange points to hidden motives; is the Cloud Sky Sect really that unsure?"

Hui Yunzi, upon catching these words, revealed a hint of surprise:

"Are you suggesting the Cloud Sky Sect has laid a scheme inside the realm to draw the Supreme True Buddha into an ambush?"

Wang Ba creased his forehead and replied:

"I'm just guessing at these possibilities; it could play out that way, or maybe it's a bluff with an empty city. Nobody knows the Cloud Sky Sect's true aims for sure... If they're truly plotting to pull in the Supreme True Buddha's troops to the realm, one key factor must exist—that the Cloud Sky Sect believes it can devour the enemy's forces right alongside ours!"

"Failing that, it'd be like welcoming a wolf indoors instead of trapping the foe in a jar."

"The real question is, does the Cloud Sky Realm hold that kind of power?"

Hui Yunzi gradually shook his head.

The response was obvious; if the Cloud Sky Realm wielded such might, it wouldn't face encirclement from the Supreme True Buddha, and it wouldn't need this desperate ploy to bait the enemy.

This strategy sounds shrewd when discussed, but in reality, it's a dangerous gamble where a single slip could doom the realm and slaughter its inhabitants.

"So if we rule that out, why would the Cloud Sky Realm stage this show on purpose?"

Wang Ba mulled it over and stated:

"Cloud Sky Sect's Sect Leader Bai isn't the type fixated only on home matters; he's clearly trusted by True Man Gai to lead the sect. A figure like that wouldn't commit such a basic error—he stays alert and harbors real ambitions..."

"What if they're counting on those three Mahayana cultivators?"

Hui Yunzi abruptly recalled a detail and voiced it.

"Mahayana cultivators..."

Wang Ba's gaze showed deep thought.

Mahayana cultivators truly represent the biggest wildcard in the clash between the Supreme True Buddha and the Cloud Sky Realm.

The Supreme True Buddha's army has delayed its push out of dread for the three Mahayana experts hidden in the Cloud Sky Realm.

Beings of that caliber, barring a surprise strike or pre-set trap, prove nearly impossible to seize amid a vast battlefield's chaos.

And should they slip away, they'd create massive headaches for the Supreme True Buddha's side too.

That's why the Supreme True Buddha keeps tightening the noose but holds back from all-out assault, opting instead for probing skirmishes that build pressure until the three Mahayana are compelled to emerge.

The Cloud Sky Realm clearly grasps the enemy's game plan, yet with such a vast power gap, they're dragged into the foe's pace, plotting maneuvers to grant the three Mahayana precious time.

Still, after turning it around in his head repeatedly, Wang Ba sensed something amiss:

"Even so, plenty of pieces don't fit... When conflict erupts, all three Mahayana must join the fray for a desperate struggle. But advising me to bolt if things sour... it hints this fight could turn deadlier than anyone pictures."

"Yet what danger outstrips what's already brewing?"

For an instant, he drew a blank too.

Then enlightenment struck him suddenly, and he spun to face Hui Yunzi:

"Grandmaster, with shifts on the horizon, no matter what the Cloud Sky Sect has planned, it's clear the realm's interior poses greater threats than the Taoist Field—no, this Taoist Field might actually be the securest spot. You should alert the Patriarch right away to bring them here quietly..."

At these words, Hui Yunzi's expression shifted faintly:

"I'll head out immediately."

Wang Ba gave a nod.

Even if the peril wasn't as dire as he feared, extra caution never hurt.

Right then, Hui Yunzi rushed out of the immortal cave.

Beyond, the festive vibe from fending off yet another Supreme True Buddha probe hung in the air, with banquet setups pressing on; Wang Ba paused to reflect, claiming exhaustion from power drain as a reason to borrow a quiet cultivation room, where he swiftly refined the assorted Dao Treasures he'd gathered, before freeing the black rhinoceros he'd taken from Wisdom Truth.

The black rhinoceros emerged with a blank look, as if stripped of any spiritual awareness.

But Wang Ba, a master of The Way of Beast Tamer, soon spotted in the beast's primordial spirit a thick web of odd golden runes, an entirely alien concept to his knowledge.

These very golden runes had reshaped the black rhinoceros into a being much like the Sea of Chaos Realm cultivators warped by the Six Paths Pond Water's influence.

Wang Ba thought it through briefly, then let loose a Sea of Chaos Realm cultivator.

Having been soaked in the Six Paths Pond Water, his nature had twisted sharply. Though confined in Wang Ba's sleeve for years, upon release he displayed neither delight nor distress, his features locked in a serene grin and peaceful demeanor.

When Wang Ba patted his head and delved into his primordial spirit, the cultivator didn't resist in the slightest.