Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2393 - 200: Heavenly Demon (2)

Back then, the spectacle appeared magnificent, yet it served only as a deceptive front to fool the masses.

Caught right in the thick of it, he struggled to escape the era's limitations, and without enough details, he could only figure that the Cloud Sky Realm had been backed into a corner, forced to make a daring bet.

"What a bold play!"

Wang Ba couldn't hold back his praise.

Though the Cloud Sky Sect probably had backup plans, wagering the fate of a whole realm to gauge the Supreme True Buddha’s response highlighted the audacity and cruelty of whoever was pulling the strings in this deadly game.

At the same time, a wave of caution washed over him.

The Cloud Sky Realm faced dire straits, and at that moment, countless cultivators had rushed to help upon hearing the call, driven by a sense of common fate. The realm ought to have remembered that debt, but during his own withdrawal, Wang Ba had witnessed numerous outsider cultivators who arrived to fight end up dead on the field.

Sure, leaders in lofty roles often face tough choices, but going that far crossed the line.

"Old Man Gai acted just like that; to save the Cloud Sky Sect, he could get far more merciless than me. But he knew how to talk and behave, so he kept a stronger image than the Void Demon Realm, even pulling off wilder stunts, tsk tsk, and folks still felt they owed him one."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ let out a soft laugh, displaying open disdain for True Man Gai.

Hearing this, Wang Ba stayed neutral. True Man Gai wasn't some flawless saint, but the Void Demon Realm's leader was no saint either. It just proved that birds of a feather flock together, varying only in shade.

Still, another thought crossed his mind soon after, leading him to ask out of curiosity:

"My Junior Brother beyond the Cloud Sky Realm mentioned the monks gearing up for the Sea of Chaos Realm—I figure that was your doing... You've always kept your identity hidden before, so why show your face this time?"

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ gave a chuckle and replied:

"I wasn't doing it out of goodwill; he chose to move on his own."

"Naturally."

"Since you're a follower of Heavenly Monarch Chao, you're on our side. No issue sharing this with you."

"As for my presence here..."

He halted briefly, his face turning grave:

"Sure, this Buddha Lord commands two mighty Buddha corpses, but the Third Realm Sea holds its own equilibrium. From what I've watched over the years, he's probably locked in self-seal, drifting between wakefulness and slumber, which is why I can slip by unnoticed even now. Still, beings like him retain sharp Spiritual Sense even sealed away. Any action from me that touches this Dharma Realm would probably rouse him right away... Though, just chatting like this stays harmless."

"Self-sealing?"

Wang Ba showed a bit of astonishment.

Then greater confusion hit him:

"If ascension was possible for him, why linger in the Third Realm Sea?"

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ offered no reply.

Wang Ba caught on fast:

"Is this linked to that ’Buddha’s son’ you brought up before..."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ nodded with approval:

"Heavenly Monarch Chao truly took on a fine disciple—yes, the Buddha’s son, the next in line for Buddha Lord. I suspect that Buddha Lord is fighting to hold back his own advancement, which explains the recent call for selecting the Buddha’s son."

A cold shiver ran through Wang Ba:

"Junior Brother hasn't picked up Buddhism’s doctrines, so wouldn't the Buddha Lord see right through him?"

Smiling, the ’Lord of Six Paths’ shook his head:

"You're off the mark there. On the day he rose to the Cloud Sky Realm, I had him with me, and he crossed the Six Paths Water. But I've got methods to keep his real nature intact."

"A bold step?"

Surprise flashed in Wang Ba’s eyes, followed by joy:

"So, when this Buddha Lord ascends, doesn't that mean we can..."

"Exactly, that's the scheme."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ confirmed with a nod:

"Hold steady—once he ascends, our chance for payback will arrive on its own."

"That said..."

He stopped, eyeing Wang Ba as the white glow around them faded slowly, uncovering an ordinary-looking face, and spoke earnestly:

"You wondered why I held you back here and showed who I am—the answer's straightforward. You're no slouch. According to Bai Lechan, you're top-tier among those below late-stage Crossing Tribulation. Handled right, you could match a late-stage expert's impact..."

Wang Ba paused briefly but held his tongue, listening on.

"Even after that Buddha Lord ascends, he'll probably sweep away nearby threats before departing... I've staged my death to get away, but Old Man Gai and the Quiet Cave's Master remain in the fray, along with the Glazed Buddha Realm. Without their quick move this round, Old Man Gai could've been done for."

A touch of scorn colored the ’Lord of Six Paths’’ words as he mentioned True Man Gai’s setback.

Wang Ba mulled it over, sketching a rough outline from the hints of events after his pullout from the Cloud Sky Realm, then had to inquire:

"Looks like I'm not involved in any of this."

"Far from it?"

With a casual flick of his hand, the ’Lord of Six Paths’ slumped into the chair by the stone table, tilting back a bit, fixing Wang Ba with eyes that gleamed oddly, grinning:

"The Cloud Sky Realm's standing must be in tatters after this. And Old Man Gai? I don't fully trust him..."

"Yet beyond the Cloud Sky Realm and Glazed Buddha Realm, we need a group to draw the Supreme True Buddha’s focus—be it for stalling or uncovering more of their hidden truths... You fit the bill perfectly: careful, keen, and strong enough."

After a moment's reflection, Wang Ba shook his head gradually: