Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2484: 231: Master

“Rest easy, you are not that fish.”

High above the basket, the immense face peering from behind the ‘long bridge’ shifted its gaze. Although lingering tension remained in its expression, the voice issued in a soft, subdued tone.

Li Yuehua, the legendary Old Blood Sea Lady who once reigned supreme over the Zhongsheng Continent, currently bore the demeanor of a mere, lowly servant.

Wang Ba attempted to pose a query, yet he found himself in a state where his voice was lost, utterly unable to produce a single syllable. In truth, he lacked any understanding of his current physical manifestation.

Almost immediately after Li Yuehua spoke, that colossal face vanished from sight.

Wang Ba surmised that they had set the bamboo basket down, and a turbulent mix of disbelief and skepticism flooded his thoughts:

“What is the nature of this place? Why is the Mistress here? And why is she acting like a menial maid… What manner of entity could force a Refining Void Cultivator into such servitude?”

Even a titan like True Man Gai, a powerhouse of the Mahayana Cultivator stage, would never treat a Refining Void practitioner with such careless condescension.

His mind raced, clutching at fleeting memories:

“Right, there was talk of a master, a grand banquet… the True Spirit Fish… And she just mentioned my life’s peak realm… Does this signify I have entered the realm of the afterlife?”

“The Underworld? The Netherworld?”

Wang Ba’s consciousness was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of questions and uncertainty. These queries pertained not only to his surroundings but also to the identity, standing, and Cultivation Base of the Mistress’s enigmatic master.

“Remember, do not stray… Also, when the guests arrive later, ensure your eyes remain fixed and motionless. Bear that well in mind!”

Li Yuehua’s cautionary command drifted down from above.

Wang Ba was momentarily taken aback, failing to grasp the true significance of her instruction.

Before long, however, the answer became clear.

Splash—

Great volumes of water surged into the basket from beneath. The basket lurched, the ‘long bridge’ skewed, and further torrents of liquid cascaded through the opening.

As the water pooled, he saw shimmering dust particles—remnants of a True Spirit—drifting in alongside a magnificent, seven-colored fish.

The scale of the creature was immense within his field of ‘vision’, resembling a scaled dragon spiraling through the depths as it plummeted into the basket, a truly breathtaking sight.

As he brushed against the fish’s aura, he felt the vast, vibrant history stored within its essence:

He witnessed an entire world, observed a youth, viewed the lifespans of countless individuals, and tracked the young man’s arduous path of growth.

In a fleeting moment, he lived through that stranger’s existence, feeling every nuance of his cultivation, right up until the climactic battle against a ruthless rival that led to his demise. To his shock, that rival was none other than a youthful Tianshang Buddha Lord!

The sensation was utterly surreal, leaving him dazed as he briefly fancied himself the seven-colored fish, defeated by the hand of the Tianshang Buddha Lord…

He snapped back to clarity, filled with alarm:

“True Spirit! This is… the True Spirit of a Mahayana Cultivator!”

He watched as the fish settled; a collision occurred, though entirely painless, as the entities merged into the same space. He could sense both his own presence and the other.

In the midst of the tumbling, his gaze hit the woven wicker of the basket and the gray brine below. The ripples in the water reflected the basket, and through the slats, he saw the faint, shimmering glaze of his own ‘fish eyes’…

A startling realization struck him:

“I remain within the Realm Sea of Origin, and indeed, I have transformed into a True Spirit Fish… Yet, I have never heard of such creatures existing in this Realm Sea.”

“Who exactly is the master to these people and the Mistress?”

Just then, the voice above resonated again:

“Stay still. Regard this as an opportunity for yourself.”

Wang Ba was left befuddled, unsure if the command was directed at him or the seven-colored fish.

The bamboo basket swayed rhythmically as it was hauled upward, shedding streams of water as it left the surface.

Soon, he felt the distinct motion of travel. After a brief interval, the basket tilted again, plunging back into the depths, and a second, smaller fish with duller hues was swept inside.

Wang Ba peered into the memories of this one as well, his confusion growing:

“Crossing Tribulation…”

This, too, was a Cultivator, though of a lower caliber than the Mahayana fish—a practitioner who had passed away from age, his True Spirit now arriving in the Realm Sea of Origin.

Wang Ba reached a conclusion:

“Does it mean that any soul reaching a sufficient realm manifests as a fish here? Perhaps I am on par with this more modest specimen.”

“But what is the purpose of a banquet involving True Spirit Fish?”

He pondered this mystery deeply. As the process continued, the basket tilted again and again, capturing a total of seven fish. They rested in the vessel with uncanny obedience. While Wang Ba could tap into their life stories, he felt no trace of their conscious will or emotional state. He was slightly surprised when Li Yuehua inspected the haul, casting aside several with a look of disdain, and went to great lengths to replace them with larger, more potent specimens until the count of seven was complete.