Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2202 138: Yin Family of Baiqu (Part 3)

"Greetings to this Taoist Brother."

"I am Taiyi, a mere traveler from afar, having no association with the Supreme True Buddha. Those people earlier were attempting to forcibly convert a person who had crossed paths with the Supreme True Buddha. By chance, I stepped in to save them, but I didn't anticipate it would create such a misunderstanding among you all..."

Witnessing the scene at this moment, Deng Yingjue’s expression froze in utter disbelief:

"He... didn't he claim to be at the Seventh Tier?! What Seventh Tier Dao Domain could possibly hold its ground against Yin Ninth Ancestor?"

"Yin Ninth Ancestor is a Crossing Tribulation Cultivator!"

"Is it possible, could he also be..."

It wasn't just him; the black-faced cultivator leading the squad and the surrounding cultivators maintaining the formation all felt a surge of shock in their hearts.

However, the middle-aged man clad in dark yellow robes stared intently at Wang Ba, cutting him off mid-sentence:

"Are you truly only at the late-stage of Unification?"

Wang Ba was caught off guard, not expecting the other man to be preoccupied with such a detail at this juncture, and prepared to explain himself.

The middle-aged man in dark yellow attire seemed impatient for the truth, saying rapidly:

"Never mind, I shall test it myself!"

Wang Ba’s brow twitched.

Abruptly, the Dao Domain above appeared to gain a new essence; the previously stable Dao Domain instantly acquired a central pillar of strength, concentrating its power like a heavy iron blade, poised to strike down at the Yellow Dao Domain below!

Yet, the opponent seemed to exercise restraint; this 'blade' did not use its 'sharp edge' but rather its blunt back!

The Yellow Dao Domain, which had been holding its own against this white Eighth Tier Dao Domain, was nearly crushed instantly by that broad 'back'!

It looked ready to shatter in a heartbeat!

This was a display of overwhelming dominance, completely unlike their earlier clash!

"Rules..."

Wang Ba’s eyes sharpened as he immediately perceived the nuance.

But he also sensed a distinct difference.

"His rules aren't particularly sophisticated—one might even call them crude—yet they fuse perfectly with his Eighth Tier Dao Domain. The result is a force that far exceeds the sum of a lone Dao Domain or rule."

"It appears I took the wrong path previously."

Attempting to merge the Dao Domain with rules was something he had also tried after mastering several rules.

Back in the Sea of Chaos Realm, Qiao Zhongxu and other practitioners of the Wonderful Feeling Realm had also utilized this method.

However, their execution was vastly more primitive, and the combined power was barely worth mentioning.

He had assumed that was simply how it worked, so he hadn't pursued the research further.

Only now did he realize that a flawless integration of the two could produce such terrifying results.

"No... perhaps a Seventh Tier Dao Domain is simply incapable of perfectly bearing the rules... Eighth Tier is the true starting point."

It wasn't that the path itself was wrong, but that a Seventh Tier Dao Domain lacked the capacity to match the rules perfectly; only a Crossing Tribulation Cultivator could truly manifest this power.

This realization surged naturally within his mind.

Watching the white Eighth Tier Dao Domain sweep aside his Yellow Dao Domain and charge directly at him without slowing down, Wang Ba’s eyes flashed.

"If that's the case..."

He lifted his hand, silently withdrawing the Yellow Dao Domain and shifting it slightly before projecting it once more.

In the next breath, the numerous rules he had grasped over the past days were silently woven into it!

Even though the rules and the Dao Domain did not fully converge, he did not let it deter him.

Under his guidance, the domain acted like a 'massive hand' reaching out to seize the 'blade'!

The Yellow Dao Domain lunged toward the white Eighth Tier Dao Domain!

"What audacity!"

The middle-aged man in dark yellow robes couldn't hide his shock, though despite his words, his eyes shone with a mix of wonder and expectation.

An instant later.

The 'blade' and 'hand' smashed together in mid-air!

Blinding light exploded!

A thunderous silence followed the impact.

When the onlookers looked up again, they saw the Yellow Dao Domain was on the verge of total ruin.

However, the white Eighth Tier Dao Domain above had also lost seventy percent of its mass. After a brief hesitation, the remaining portion transformed into a ray of light and returned to the middle-aged man.

"Ninth Ancestor has triumphed!"

"Magnificent!"

After a moment of dazed silence, the cultivators below broke into cheers.

Deng Yingjue and the cultivators from the Green Flood Dragon Realm stood there, feeling completely lost.

Standing by himself, Wang Ba retracted his Dao Domain, his brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.

Yet, the middle-aged man ignored the celebrations below. With a solemn face, he descended to stand before Wang Ba, studying him once more before raising his hand in a respectful salute and saying sincerely:

"Taoist Friend Taiyi, your skills are profound. This time, I am the one who has lost."

"I am Yin Penglai, of the Baiqu Yin Family."

Hearing this, Wang Ba snapped back to reality and returned the greeting with a rare, self-deprecating smile:

"So it is Taoist Friend Yin. It was clearly my loss; if you hadn't held back, my Dao Domain would have likely shattered completely..."

Yin Penglai shook his head with gravity and replied:

"You, a cultivator only at Unification Perfection, managed to fight me to this extent; even within the Realm Sea, such Unification cultivators are rare. To be honest, aside from my Dao Treasure and a few trump cards, I held nothing back, yet I still had to rely on the fusion of my Dao Domain and rules just to barely suppress your rule technique... You should be proud."

"Taoist Brother gives me too much credit."

Wang Ba could only shake his head helplessly.

"I do not exaggerate; you have not even reached the Crossing Tribulation stage, yet your grasp of rules is this deep. It seems you will easily break through soon, as the mastery of rules is the greatest obstacle when moving from Unification to Crossing Tribulation."

Yin Penglai spoke with earnest conviction.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Wang Ba asked with genuine curiosity.

For tens of thousands of years in the Sea of Chaos Realm, no Crossing Tribulation stage cultivator had ever appeared. While he had read about it in many ancient texts, book knowledge was far inferior to the personal insights of a true Crossing Tribulation stage expert.

Yin Penglai, eager to build a friendship, spoke without holding anything back.

The two began a deep conversation, their occasional laughter giving off the impression of two old friends finally reuniting.

The nearby cultivators, seeing the two who were just locked in a fierce battle now chatting like brothers, were left stunned.

Deng Yingjue, watching from the side, felt even more confused:

"Wasn't it said... wasn't it said he was a follower of the Supreme True Buddha?"

"How did he and Ninth Ancestor Yin suddenly become so..."

The black-faced cultivator, just as baffled, couldn't help but approach and whisper:

"Ninth Ancestor, isn't he a spy from the Supreme True Buddha...?"

Yin Penglai immediately spun around and glared at him, barking:

"Utter nonsense!"

"Taoist Friend Taiyi's Dao Law is profound and his spirit is pure and unmatched; how could he possibly be associated with the Supreme True Buddha!"

The black-faced cultivator was dazed, thinking to himself that he had whispered specifically so others wouldn't hear—why did the Ancestor have to shout it so loudly?

He felt quite wronged.

Yin Penglai cleared his throat and announced seriously:

"I have reached an accord with Taoist Friend Taiyi. From this day forward, Taoist Friend Taiyi is the Guest Elder of our Baiqu Yin Family!"

Deng Yingjue, standing nearby, trembled from head to toe.

Looking at the green-robed figure standing next to Ninth Ancestor Yin, his heart was a whirlwind of complex emotions.

If he had chosen to stand firmly by the other man earlier, would that have meant the Green Flood Dragon Realm would now have a Crossing Tribulation stage cultivator as a patron?

But time does not turn back, and 'what ifs' are meaningless.

A missed opportunity is simply a missed opportunity.

Perhaps, in the years to come, when he looked back on this day, a feeling called 'regret' would occasionally sting his heart.

He led the discouraged cultivators of the Green Flood Dragon Realm back toward the Green Leaf Flying Boat.

Just as they were about to depart, the black-faced cultivator stopped them.

"Taoist Brother, we truly are not followers of the Supreme True Buddha."

Though he felt dejected, Deng Yingjue forced himself to remain polite while dealing with the Yin Family guards.

The black-faced cultivator shook his head, pulled out a Dao Treasure, and handed it to Deng Yingjue.

Deng Yingjue froze in surprise.

The black-faced cultivator said with a somber tone:

"This was entrusted to me by Guest Elder Taiyi to give to you. He feels regretful for breaking the pact with you, so please, you must accept this."

Upon hearing those words, Deng Yingjue’s heart was shaken once more.

Unlike his earlier disappointment, as he looked at the Dao Treasure in his hands, a very different and complicated emotion welled up inside him.

The image of that green-clad cultivator naturally surfaced in his mind again.

After a long silence, he accepted the gift, stepped out onto the deck of the Flying Boat, and performed a deep bow of respect toward the distance.