Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2357 - 87: Soothing (2)

Under the steady gaze from Wang Ba, he paused briefly before continuing:

"Outside the realm, it could demand seven or eight millennia, perhaps even a full ten thousand years."

To his astonishment, Wang Ba's reaction to this response wasn't the relief he anticipated; rather, a frown creased his brow:

"Does it really require so much time?"

"Is that truly a long wait?"

Taoist Man found himself speechless for a moment after hearing those words.

For endless years, he had persevered within the Immortal Forbidden Land, and to him, any duration—whether a millennium, ten millennia, a hundred thousand years, or even a million—would be a small price for ascending to The Heavens.

Still, he couldn't fathom the reason behind the other man's urgent haste.

Wang Ba offered no more explanation, having only just arrived back in the Sea of Chaos Realm with plenty of matters demanding his attention.

Right then, Gan Xiong, observing from a distance, approached swiftly, offering a hand salute to Wang Ba, his voice carrying a rare tone of deep respect and caution:

"Gan Xiong pays respects to Taoist Master Taiyi."

"Taoist Friend Gan, there's no need for such formality. With my absence these past days, managing the Three Great Camps must have been quite the burden on you."

Wang Ba snapped out of his thoughts and replied the gesture with a warm smile.

Given Chong Hua's formidable power, defiance from anyone in the Three Great Camps was out of the question.

Chong Hua practiced the True Martial path, excelling beyond compare in spell battles, yet he fell short when it came to mentoring others in cultivation. Taoist Man possessed sharp insights and mastery over numerous Dharma techniques, but assigning him to instruct these Outer World Cultivators amounted to squandering his abilities; regrettably, his early lack of prestige failed to win over the cultivators from the Three Great Camps.

Gan Xiong alone, as a practitioner of the Wonderful Feeling Realm and Realm Master of the Holy Desecration Realm, commanded the renown necessary to bring those Outer World Cultivators into line.

Gan Xiong humbly insisted he was unworthy, noting how Wang Ba treated him without disdain even after his own cultivation had surged forward; a rare grin broke across his features as he murmured:

"I still owe thanks to Taoist Friend Yu Yu; without her intervention, the Holy Desecration Realm might still be tormented by the Immortal Eye..."

Emotions swirled chaotically in his chest at that thought.

The crimson-golden blood orb that had haunted the Holy Desecration Realm for so long unleashed tremendous might under that young woman's control, especially since it contained a top-grade Dao Treasure. How could he avoid a pang of regret?

Little Cang World's power swelled daily, with Taoist Master Taiyi's incarnation, Taoist Master Chong Hua, displaying unfathomable might, and the presence of the Mahayana Cultivator Taoist Man—who had come close to ascending to The Heavens—further bolstering it. Gan Xiong witnessed it all, and amid such developments, whatever regrets or reluctance stirred within him could only emerge as a quiet sigh in solitude.

If given a choice, who would choose to dwell in someone else's looming shadow?

Despite his solid bond with Wang Ba and the warm alliance he upheld with Little Cang World, he recognized clearly that as Little Cang World expanded relentlessly, the Holy Desecration Realm would inevitably forfeit its parity and slowly transform into a mere satellite. As Realm Master, envisioning this fate, how could he accept it easily?

It wasn't born of ill intent, merely a refusal to lag behind.

That reluctance persisted right up to now, as he beheld Wang Ba's return from beyond the Sea of Chaos Realm, observed the prowess shown by Taoist Master Chong Hua, and noted the interactions between Taoist Master Man and Wang Ba... ultimately, in this hushed instant, it faded entirely away.

Wang Ba remained unaware of Gan Xiong's inner turmoil, but he grasped the proper course forward; in response to the man's words, he shook his head and declared:

"Taoist Friend, that's not quite right. Yu Yu's growth owes much to your realm's support."

While saying this, he reached into his sleeve, retrieved two objects, and slid them toward Gan Xiong.

Gan Xiong froze, his eyes locking onto the pair of items, unable to suppress his shock:

"Top-grade Dao Treasures?! This... Taoist Friend Taiyi, what's the intention here?"

Wang Ba grinned and explained:

"What Yu Yu forged was the Immortal Eye, immensely potent and worthy of being called a treasure; concealed within it lies a real fire staff, another valuable item. Since Yu Yu claimed these two treasures, I struggled to find a way to repay her, so I decided these two Dao Treasures would serve as fitting compensation. The Blood Pupils Skill she gained from you can stand as an extra gift; Taoist Friend, you mustn't demand its return."

"This..."

Gan Xiong stood rooted, utterly unprepared for such lavish generosity from the other side.

While he lingered in stunned silence, the two Dao Treasures were already pressed into his grasp.

He moved to decline them.

But Wang Ba's earnest words echoed beside him:

"To be honest, we did benefit greatly from the Holy Desecration Realm, yet I believe Little Cang World and Holy Desecration Realm have faced trials together, like sibling realms, with no call for strict boundaries... I've come back this time, but soon I'll depart the Sea of Chaos Realm once more; when that happens, Taoist Friend, feel free to dispatch followers or join me yourself."

A jolt ran through Gan Xiong's thoughts, snapping him to attention:

"Depart the Sea of Chaos Realm?! Could I... join as well?"

"Naturally, though I've only just arrived, so details remain unsettled; I request Taoist Friend Gan to hold this in strict confidence for the moment."

Wang Ba stated gravely.

Upon hearing that, Gan Xiong brimmed with shock and joy, refusing no longer this time; he stored the two Dao Treasures from Wang Ba and bowed deeply to him again: "Taoist Friend’s generosity, I, Gan, shall engrave it in my heart eternally!"

Wang Ba lightly steadied him with a hand, beaming, his voice brimming with genuine warmth:

"In those days, when Taoist Friend Gan handed over every gathered heritage from the Holy Desecration Realm to me, he sought no reward in return. Among fellow Daoists, such customs need not bind us."

If others respect me by a foot, I shall return a yard.

Back then, Gan Xiong stood alone among the Three Great Realms in extending kindness to Wang Ba and Little Cang World, and now, he was determined not to let that trust go unrewarded.

Sensing the genuine parity in Wang Ba's words, Gan Xiong felt deeply touched, and in that instant, he yielded completely in both heart and mind.