Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2290: 164: Magical Combat (Part 1)

Upon hearing the voice of the youth clad in purple robes, Wang Ba felt a faint jolt of surprise in his heart.

“Are you requesting that I participate in the upcoming magical combat?”

His eyes instinctively drifted across the gathered Crossing Tribulation cultivators nearby.

Their auras were diverse—some somber, others radiant, some aggressive, and others tranquil. The rules they embodied were distinctly different from those found in the Cloud Sky Realm, signaling they originated from various different domains.

Among the group were those at the early stage of Crossing Tribulation, as well as middle-stage experts like True Man Ba. There were even a couple whose sheer presence sent a shiver down his spine. Every one of them appeared to be at the peak of their Essence and Qi; logically, it shouldn't have been his turn to take the field.

As if he had anticipated Wang Ba’s hesitation, the purple-robed youth’s voice resonated in his ear once more, sounding slightly more grave:

“In the absence of Mahayana interference, late-stage Crossing Tribulation experts act as anchors. They must not be deployed lightly, for fear that the situation might spiral into a catastrophic war.”

“Furthermore, the Supreme True Buddha possesses far more Arhats and Bodhisattvas than we have. If we send out our standard cultivators, the enemy can easily find a specific counter for them. Only your techniques are diverse and difficult to pin down... I hope you can reverse this string of defeats and secure more time for True Man Gai, the Heavenly Monarch, and Xiahou Heavenly Venerate.”

The voice paused for a moment before adding:

“Regardless of the result, our Sect will provide Cloud Shells as compensation. However, if you, Taoist Friend, have not fully recovered and are unable to fight, then we shall not force the matter.”

Hearing this, Wang Ba realized immediately that his actions within the Cloud Sky Sect’s treasury were known to them. He reflected for a brief moment before sending back a mental transmission:

“I am honored by your trust, Taoist Brother. I shall do my utmost.”

His motivation wasn't primarily the Cloud Shells; rather, it was the necessity of buying time for the three Mahayana stage cultivators, which served his own interests. Though he preferred to avoid the spotlight, the current circumstances and a direct invitation from the Master of the Cloud Sky Sect meant he wouldn't be unnecessarily stubborn.

This was simply how one should conduct themselves. While some principles must be held firmly, one must also adapt to the timing of events. To be otherwise would be to remain rigid and useless, no different from a wooden statue.

A look of relief crossed the purple-robed youth's eyes when Wang Ba gave his consent.

He then turned his attention back toward the water curtain.

Wang Ba and the other surrounding cultivators also shifted their focus to the shifting scenes within the water curtain.

Because Chen Zhongqi was a middle-stage Crossing Tribulation cultivator, the opposing side had dispatched a Bodhisattva to meet him. Dressed in golden robes and shimmering with Buddhist light, the opponent brandished a dark red Zen Stick, flying forward to strike at Chen Zhongqi immediately.

“That is the Wisdom Dragon Bodhisattva. He is a practitioner of the path of Body Refinement...”

“Chen is a Sword Cultivator who has only recently reached the middle-stage of Crossing Tribulation, but he shouldn't necessarily be afraid of this foe.”

“Still, that opponent likely wields a top grade Dao Treasure... Chen Zhongqi could find himself in a precarious position.”

Wang Ba listened as the cultivators around him began to whisper and analyze the match.

His eyes remained fixed on the Golden Robe Bodhisattva.

Just like the Bodhisattvas and Arhats he had fought before, the rules radiating from this figure were beyond his current grasp. In a magical combat, of course, complete understanding wasn't always a requirement for victory; if there is a massive gap in the power of the rules, one can simply win through the logic that Strength is everything.

The Bodhisattvas and Arhats who had fallen to him previously were defeated in exactly that manner.

Nevertheless, gaining a deeper understanding of these opponents would allow for better control over the fight.

He began to observe with intense focus.

Meanwhile, in the Outer Realm Void, the clash between Chen Zhongqi and Wisdom Dragon Bodhisattva escalated rapidly.

Sword Cultivators usually hold an advantage over others due to the terrifying destructive potential of the Sword Dao.

This principle applies to all martial paths, whether they involve swords, blades, spears, or halberds.

However, Chen Zhongqi’s greatest strength seemed neutralized by Wisdom Dragon Bodhisattva’s top grade Dao Treasure. That dark red Zen Stick carried a staggering weight and power; every time it swung, the very void seemed to buckle!

The force it generated far surpassed the power of Chen Zhongqi’s sword beams.

Consequently, the magical combat saw Chen Zhongqi—a Sword Cultivator—forced into a defensive retreat, constantly dodging. Even when he managed to land a blow, the impact was negligible, leaving him looking quite distressed.

This caused the watching cultivators to hold their breath, their eyes glued to the scene.

Only the purple-robed youth remained composed, showing no outward concern for Chen Zhongqi’s plight.

Standing at the rear of the crowd, Wang Ba was meticulously studying how Wisdom Dragon Bodhisattva utilized rules during the fight.

Even if he couldn't grasp the rules directly, he tried to deduce their intent by observing their effects, breaking them down to find common patterns, and attempting to decode the function of each basic component.

This was essentially the reverse of how he had originally learned to comprehend rules.

While the concept was simple to describe, it was incredibly taxing to perform.

Perhaps because he lacked any foundational knowledge of these specific rules, they appeared to him as a chaotic mess, offering no clear starting point for analysis.

This was fundamentally different from his usual experience with rule comprehension, where rules appeared as structures of black and white threads.

The rules governing Wisdom Dragon Bodhisattva seemed to belong to a different system entirely.

“The base layer of rules that forms a Domain Sea should be represented by black and white threads—the Yin and Yang. This follows the principle that 'the one begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things'...”

“So why does another kind exist?”

Wang Ba’s confusion deepened.

However, looking at the strange rules surrounding Wisdom Dragon Bodhisattva reminded him of the sensation he felt from the Immortal Pass Wall.

The rules upon that wall were much the same.

They were chaotic and intricate, yet possessed a sophisticated beauty that surpassed his current level of understanding, making him feel as though he could study them for a lifetime and still not fully decode them.

Comparing the two, he felt a growing certainty that they both originated from the same fundamental system.