Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2392 - 200: Heavenly Demon

Wang Ba caught wind of the guess.

The silhouette wrapped in glowing white, right then, appeared somewhat less relaxed and more grave.

After lightly adjusting his posture, following a short pause, he fixed his gaze on Wang Ba, positioned a short distance from the stone table, and abruptly inquired:

"Why do you believe that?"

Even with roughly sixty percent certainty in his mind, Wang Ba still experienced a faint shiver upon catching that query.

It's truly him!

Yet Wang Ba held off on replying right away; rather, he posed a counter-question:

"Where's Shen Fu? Did the Six Paths Pond Water corrupt him?"

The form cloaked in white radiance gave a subtle shake of his head:

"His strong protection of you isn't wasted... Don't worry, I've dispatched him to vie for the position of the next Buddha’s son."

"Buddha’s son?"

Wang Ba felt a mild jolt, and oddly recalled Shen Fu’s role as holy child in the primitive Demonic Sect. Despite his concerns, he couldn't shake off a feeling of familiarity mixed with oddity in that instant.

"We can talk about those matters afterward. For now, explain why you came to that conclusion."

The entity presumed to be 'Xiahou Demon', the Lord of Six Paths, clearly showed keen interest in this inquiry just then, and urged further.

At those words, Wang Ba reflected briefly, yet shared everything openly:

"You mentioned we've encountered each other three times, but besides now and the incident in Zhang’s Ruins, I have no memory of you. After careful consideration, the only possibility is that during my previous departure from here, you spotted me."

"Having spotted me, you still permitted Shen Fu to release me."

"Furthermore, I'm aware that a spy from Supreme True Buddha must be embedded in the Cloud Sky Sect..."

"Thus, you're probably not aligned with Supreme True Buddha."

"Not from Supreme True Buddha, but capable of staying concealed right under the Great Bodhisattva’s watch."

"A late-stage Crossing Tribulation expert, or perhaps a Mahayana Cultivator? Either could fit."

"That said, I've also learned that during Supreme True Buddha's prior assault on the Cloud Sky Realm, the Lord of Six Paths suffered a grave wound from Xiahou Demon and has been recovering in this location ever since."

"As the ruler of the Void Demon Realm, Xiahou Demon employs trickery as effortlessly as breathing."

"Plus, you deliberately leaked certain details."

"Weighing all these factors, I ventured to make that bold deduction."

Naturally, the primary factor was the opponent's intentional disclosure of clues. Without that, regardless of wild imaginings, no one would risk assuming a fabled 'dead' Mahayana Cultivator lurked in this spot.

Listening to Wang Ba's explanation, the presence beyond the stone table, bathed in white glow, involuntarily applauded and praised:

"Incredible!"

"I retract my earlier statement. Shen Fu's evaluation of you holds true - exceptionally thorough and wary, befitting one who journeyed solo past Duanhai Cliff to arrive here."

Wang Ba stayed calm at these words, paying little heed to Shen Fu's judgment while his mind raced to deeper considerations in that moment.

In those days, the Cloud Sky Realm's powers divided into dual fronts, using a ploy to strategically assist the foe. Looking back, numerous suspicions arose, like the overly prudent demeanor of Cloud Sky Sect's Sect Leader Bai, who devised an extremely perilous and bold plan, and given the Cloud Sky Realm's prior clashes with Supreme True Buddha, they ought to have grasped Tianshang Buddha Lord's might, yet opted to scatter their troops, resulting in piecemeal defeats...

"Moreover, with Xiahou Demon faking his demise, might it mean..."

His pulse quickened, a hazy doubt taking shape.

Across from him, the 'Lord of Six Paths' appeared to sense his musings, lifting a finger to his mouth:

"Shh—"

"If you've figured it out, keep it unspoken."

Wang Ba paused in surprise, then comprehended and gave a small nod, before querying with bewilderment:

"If I may ask, senior, knowing you couldn't match that Buddha Lord, why did the prior Cloud Sky Realm conflict occur?"

He avoided naming the Buddha Lord outright, simply calling them 'that one'.

Hearing this, the 'Lord of Six Paths' tilted his head faintly, as if reliving the old confrontation with Tianshang Buddha Lord. Despite the white light concealing his face and feelings, inner turmoil showed, as he shook his head gently:

"Only after battling all out could anyone realize he'd attained that level?"

"Old Man Gai, Quiet Cave's Master, and I joined forces. We believed that against peers in the entire Third Realm Sea, defeat was impossible, yet..."

He shook his head once more, evidently loath to dwell on the memory, and declined to elaborate.

Shifting topics, he continued:

"Yet in this Cloud Sky Realm clash, our goal wasn't to vanquish Supreme True Buddha. Actually, from the start, Old Man Gai and his allies aimed to test their utmost power, appearing hazardous but proceeding with calculated caution."

"Their utmost power?"

Wang Ba mulled it over, then voiced gravely:

"Reclining Buddha, Seated Buddha, Standing Buddha?"

"You're aware as well?"

The 'Lord of Six Paths' showed mild astonishment, then gave another subtle head shake:

"It's no grand mystery, really. The three Buddha corpses have endured for ages, predating this Buddha Lord, but I never imagined he'd command two of those three Buddha corpses simultaneously..."

"Buddha corpses?"

Wang Ba felt a brief daze.

"Indeed, as they claim, these represent the 'Three Great Dharma Realms', encompassing Buddhas from past, present, and future."

The 'Lord of Six Paths' conveyed a touch of sentiment:

"Our plan this time was to draw out this Buddha Lord's authentic state. The best outcome would've forced him to lose control of his realm and ascend in Cultivation. Regrettably..."

Evidently revisiting that fight's moments, his voice unwittingly held hints of gravity.

Wang Ba, though, found a spark of understanding within.

Previously, he'd wondered why Xiahou Demon, after hiding so long, allowed the Cloud Sky Realm's rash moves with scant insight into Supreme True Buddha. Now, it became clear: the earlier Cloud Sky Realm skirmish, spearheaded by Duanhai Cliff's forces, served merely as a deliberate probe against Supreme True Buddha.