Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2401 - 203: Salty Submission
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
The Black Water churned fiercely, with tides ebbing and flowing relentlessly.
Splashing water waves dispersed the hazy Chaos Origin Substance far away, uncovering the hidden figures in the void one after another.
However, all present remained stunned and lost in thought, gazing at the serene blue-robed figure poised amid the Black Water, their inner turmoil mirroring the escalating waves, growing ever more intense.
Fan Fenglei positioned himself before the temporary imperial palace of Spirit Origin Prefecture and its assembled Cultivators, tilting his head upward just a bit.
As the Black Water Dao Domain and sword-light shattered in unison, the gusting winds and waves tousled his white hair, but they failed to pierce the profound shock weighing on his heart. His faintly pallid features and the tangled, damp strands of white hair combined to show hints of humiliation and helpless isolation.
He muttered under his breath, sounding bewildered, as though refusing to accept the truth:
"How is this possible... how is this possible..."
High above the Black Water.
Wang Ba maintained a composed and steady expression, without stepping back even an inch. His eyes swept beyond the crumbling Black Water Dao Domain toward Fan Fenglei, and he declared in a clear voice:
"Lord Fan, there is still one more sword."
Although his tone wasn't booming, every nearby Cultivator strained to catch every syllable, ensuring they grasped it fully.
Yin Tianzhi observed Wang Ba, who stood with hands clasped behind on the water's surface, parting his lips but in the end choosing not to call for a halt.
In that instant, he came to grasp a truth he had previously ignored.
Over three centuries back, when the Taiyi Tributor first stepped into the Crossing Tribulation stage, he dominated peers at his level and boldly unsheathed his blade against the false Lord of the Ten Thousand Demon Palace. Though merely three hundred years had elapsed—a mere blink for beings like them—how could one akin to a true dragon ever conform to ordinary measures?
"Yet even so, this is still too..."
Deep inside, he wavered, momentarily at a loss for words to express the overwhelming astonishment from such over-the-top feats.
It's akin to a person toiling for years to master reading, only to witness another crafting an epic tale mere moments after learning to write.
Amid the shock, it evoked a dreamlike unreality.
The gathered spectators now harbored only the term 'frightening' in their minds.
They marveled at how True Man Taiyi had stood unmoving and effortlessly blocked Fan Fenglei's peak two strikes, while fearing the motives of such a powerhouse aligning with the Yin Family.
The young woman who served as Realm Master Sangkong of the Illusion Sky Realm beheld Wang Ba's grandeur, her lovely eyes gleaming with light.
Prominent individuals such as the Lord of the Golden Water Pond and the Yutang Mansion Master, among others, displayed grave and cautious stares.
Cheng Lianzi from the Laowen Sect appeared even more deeply thoughtful, uncertain how to interpret the scene, his attention fixed entirely on Wang Ba while disregarding Yin Tianzhi:
"How can the Yin Family’s Tributor possess such skill?"
"Wasn’t it said that he only just entered the Tribulation-Transcending Realm and relied on a top Dao Treasure?"
Yet judging by the unfolding events, the opponent evidently hadn't employed any Dao Treasure, clashing solely through laws.
Right then, he understood that the circumstances diverged completely from his earlier assumptions.
He even fleetingly considered a notion that made his back run cold.
"Taiyi... could he truly be that one from the Cloud Sky Realm? Wasn’t he hunted down and fell by the Northern Great Bodhisattva?"
"How could someone like that support the Yin Family?"
"Surely not?"
While doubts swirled in his mind, he caught Wang Ba’s declaration before the temporary imperial palace of Spirit Origin Prefecture. The intricate emotions in Fan Fenglei’s gaze intensified visibly, but he lifted two fingers nonetheless, laws rippling as the shattered Black Water Dao Domain gathered like liquid, roiling ceaselessly and swiftly reshaping into sword gleams, as if amassing boundless might.
Nearby Cultivators detected the immense force building and each adopted a somewhat serious demeanor.
Just as this blow appeared ready to erupt, bound to rattle the skies and ground, Fan Fenglei let out a sudden sigh. The sword-light crafted from the Black Water Dao Domain quivered faintly, then emitted a seeming wail of hesitation before dispersing with a sharp clang.
Beneath the crowd's astonished stares, Fan Fenglei gradually lowered his sword-forming fingers, drooped his eyelids, and shut his eyes. In that instant, he looked markedly older, nodding his head slowly and murmuring:
"The third sword need not be unleashed."
"Taoist Friend Taiyi has the demeanor of a gentleman, and Spirit Origin Prefecture is not without shame."
"After today, the grievances between Spirit Origin Prefecture and Taoist Friend shall be written off."
His words carried tones of solitude, forlornness, unwillingness, and heavy sighs.
Hearing this, the surrounding Cultivators felt little shock, yet Fan Fenglei’s forlorn look stirred sympathy in many.
Those with insight could tell the prior two strikes represented Fan Fenglei’s finest moves, but they left True Man Taiyi utterly unscathed, proving the pair operated on vastly different planes. Launching a third strike wouldn't alter the outcome in the least.
Less a willing concession from Fan Fenglei, it was more a forced one to preserve at least a shred of face.
Among the ten great powers currently in Zhang’s Ruins, Fan Fenglei’s prowess wasn't the highest but ranked solidly in the middle. Those earlier two blades, while maybe lacking in spell-based clashes, possessed force that even Cheng Lianzi wouldn't confront head-on, yet they proved useless against True Man Taiyi. Thus, it's likely few from the other clans could stand against him.
Awareness of this left no assembled Cultivator's mind at ease.
"The overall strength of the Yin Family in Zhang’s Ruins is considered above average, and adding this True Man Taiyi... who else in Zhang’s Ruins could rival them?"
In silence, Cheng Lianzi and his companions traded looks, each spotting profound fear in the others' eyes, along with a faint creeping chill...