Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2318: 173: Breaking the Barrier
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Wang Ba inspected his Primordial Spirit closely and noticed a thin, watery glow covering its exterior. Innumerable intricate golden markings, resembling animated beings, were gradually infiltrating his Primordial Spirit. Inside it, faint outlines of these enigmatic golden markings could be discerned.
“Is this the Six Paths pool water?”
A faint guess stirred in Wang Ba's mind.
It might be this Six Paths pool water wrapping around the Primordial Spirit, thereby reshaping the cultivator’s temperament from within. The black massive boar appeared to have undergone something similar.
“What in the world are these golden patterns?”
Wang Ba refrained from touching them, cautiously observing for some time, then furrowed his brow a bit.
These golden patterns bore a resemblance to divine patterns, but they clearly stemmed from an entirely separate framework, leaving him unable to figure out the functions of each kind through mere observation.
“Do they represent yet another branch of the Supreme True Buddha system?”
Wang Ba's heart grew a touch heavier.
To this day, his grasp on the Supreme True Buddha remained superficial, much like his knowledge of the mechanisms it utilized.
After a brief reflection, he exited the hidden chamber, requested a meeting with the Cloud Sky Sect's leader, and freed a cultivator from the Sea of Chaos Realm who had been influenced by the Six Paths pool water, detailing the circumstances.
“You've uncovered something like this as well, Fellow Daoist.”
The youth clad in purple robes showed mild astonishment, yet far less excitement than Wang Ba anticipated. He stayed composed and simply directed the Cloud Sky Sect members to escort the individual away, then grinned and remarked:
“I was on the verge of seeking you out; the feast is ready to begin, and as the central figure, you need to join in.”
Observing the other's typical poise, Wang Ba couldn't resist inquiring:
“Fellow Daoist, aren't you concerned that the Supreme True Buddha could seize this chance to assault the Cloud Sky Realm?”
The purple-robed youth paused briefly, then flashed a relaxed smile and replied:
“They wouldn't dare.”
“Wouldn't dare?”
How could they not? Even though the Supreme True Buddha dreaded the trio of Mahayana experts, would they truly linger in patience forever after encircling the Cloud Sky Realm for ages?
Such doubts swirled in Wang Ba's thoughts, though he chose not to express them aloud.
Though the Cloud Sky Sect's strategy still eluded him, the purple-robed youth's response bolstered his conviction that they possessed defenses against the Supreme True Buddha's troops.
Yet this approach likely involved substantial dangers, so despite viewing him as a Heavenly Monarch's direct heir, they offered only subtle clues without revealing the full scheme.
That was to be expected.
Success in schemes relies on keeping them hidden, while carelessness dooms them.
It would be odd indeed if the Sect Master shared strategies vital to the lives of so many with an external figure like him.
In that scenario, he wouldn't linger.
After a short pause, he leaned in and whispered:
“Those Bodhisattvas… when do you expect them to show up?”
The purple-robed youth caught the question, cast an appreciative glance at Wang Ba for his insight, nodded in approval, then shook his head and answered:
“I'm uncertain, but their siege on the Cloud Sky Realm has dragged on for quite some time…”
Though he trailed off, Wang Ba grasped the implication right away.
“The Cloud Sky Realm is gearing up, and the Supreme True Buddha's forces aren't slacking off. Undoubtedly, they've laid out various traps beyond, poised for True Man Gai, Master Chao, and Xiahou Demon to emerge…”
The purple-robed youth abruptly grinned, his tone firm and resonant:
“Come on, the folks waiting outside must be getting restless. Let's head over.”
Wang Ba gave a nod, refraining from further refusal this time.
Striding together, trailed by Cloud Sky Sect cultivators, they reached the banquet hall where the vibe surged to a fever pitch.
The nine mid-stage Crossing Tribulation experts, including True Man Ba who had battled beside Wang Ba and linked into a ten-strong array, were presently encircled by fellow cultivators, clearly recounting their triumph against the Supreme True Buddha, their expressions radiant and eager to continue. But spotting Wang Ba entering with Bai Lechan, they rushed over to offer salutes.
Wang Ba promptly beamed and reciprocated the courtesies, his gaze sweeping the area unwittingly, realizing the crowd at this banquet dwarfed the previous one.
Evidently, the prior celebration's exchanges had captivated numerous cultivators, drawing them back now, often with their top disciples in tow.
Glancing around, he swiftly located Wanxiang Sect Master Lan He in the throng, yet failed to spot the Qitian Patriarch, figuring the latter was probably aiding Chongyuan Patriarch's healing.
Wanxiang Sect disciples might be there, but he didn't recognize any.
He had little chance for further scrutiny; soon enough, a swarm of Crossing Tribulation cultivators keen on forging ties enveloped him, and the feast kicked off.
Much like before, once the group loosened up from the drinks, a voice suggested delving into Tao discussions to heighten the merriment.
The assembled cultivators had eagerly awaited this pivotal part, so all consented, sparking a wildly fervent mood.
The banquet's energy climbed to unprecedented heights.
In the midst of it, as he watched the pair of Unification stage experts debating Tao on the elevated stage, took in the cheerful expressions nearby and at far tables, and sensed the laid-back setting so at odds with the true peril, an odd disquiet gripped Wang Ba's heart.
He refused to dismiss this disquiet; the feeling intensified without reason, born from endless perils and close escapes that honed his Spiritual Sense to razor sharpness, prompting caution as he scanned about and creased his forehead:
“Where's the grandmaster? Still not here?”
He had dispatched Hui Yunzi specifically to Wanxiang Sect, and by his timing, they ought to have returned.
The purple-robed youth picked up on his oddity and inquired worriedly:
“Fellow Daoist Taiyi, is something wrong?”
Wang Ba quelled his inner concern but muttered softly:
“Fellow Daoist Bai, we're keeping constant watch on the Supreme True Buddha's movements, aren't we?”
The purple-robed youth, upon hearing, offered a comforting smile and assured:
“Rest easy, my friend, we…”
His words cut short.
A piercing whistle pierced the air without warning!
In the same instant, the whole Taoist Field of the Cloud Sky Sect rumbled and quaked!
Every face twisted in shock!
“Hostiles incoming!”
“It's the Supreme True Buddha!”
“They're striking once more!”
The purple-robed youth's features hardened slightly, his eyes lifting skyward, where a long-anticipated serenity finally dawned.
“So it begins at last?”
At once, he rose commandingly, his countenance stern, as if wholly caught off guard by the Supreme True Buddha's timing, swiftly soaring upward and declaring gravely:
“Stay calm, all of you!”
Yet nearly at that very moment, transmission talismans streamed in from every side like falling flakes:
“Sect Master, Bodhisattvas are assaulting the Eastern A District of the Realm Membrane!”
“Sect Master, the Northern C District of the Realm Membrane…”
“Sect Master…”
The Taoist Field shuddered fiercely, accompanied by subdued blasts filtering through the barrier's veil…
Within the Taoist Field, the realm's sect cultivators displayed clear alarm!
“This is dire! Our guarded sector…”
“I must rush to my sect!”
“The threat's unknown; no one exits the Taoist Field, or face execution!”
The purple-robed youth bellowed fiercely, his stare icy and piercing, his striking visage now laced with frost, radiating the Cloud Sky Sect Master's full command!
His command struck the panicking cultivators dumb with fear!
Meanwhile, without delay, the Crossing Tribulation experts in the Taoist Field zipped to the water screens.
Plenty of water screens had dimmed to gray, signaling the outer surveillance spells' destruction.
And in the surviving ones, over half now gleamed with golden Buddhist radiance, clusters of Bodhisattvas and Arhats—three or five together—raising massive bronze idols to hammer the Realm Membrane's vulnerabilities, unleashing brilliant light bursts!
Certain water screens even revealed the enormous Seated Buddha, once far in the void, now perilously close to the Cloud Sky Realm, with hordes of silhouettes darting forth.
“They're breaching the Realm Membrane!”
“Such swift arrival!”
The Crossing Tribulation experts felt stunned and baffled right then; logically, the Cloud Sky Sect monitored external stirrings closely, any Supreme True Buddha shift spotted early and countered, but instead, foes massed at the threshold undetected.
No room for deeper pondering, merely guessing at some covert Supreme True Buddha art.
In this tense hour, all eyes turned to the purple-robed youth.
His look grave, flashes from the water screens occasionally illuminating his features, he promptly announced:
“Remain steady, everyone. The Cloud Sky Realm's Realm Membrane has endured repeated fortifications; they can't shatter it without effort. Follow our directives…”
Mid-sentence, a thunderous roar jolted the entire Taoist Field!
Boom!
The instant after, cries from afar echoed from cultivators:
“The Realm's breached!”
“The Realm's breached!”
At once, silence blanketed the scene.