Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2306: 169: Celebration (Correction – This Chapter Is Supplemental)_2

A simple reflection reveals this principle clearly.

Wang Ba hadn't overlooked this issue, but after listening to Sect Leader Bai's statement, he paused for a moment before responding:

“I'm embarrassed, it's just a small win that doesn't affect the big picture much. Holding such an elaborate event, won't it make folks drop their guard?”

The purple-robed youth caught his words and offered a soft smile.

A nearby cultivator chuckled and remarked:

“Fellow Daoist Taiyi, you're off the mark there. That fight wasn't some trivial success—it was a massive win. You took down five Great Bodhisattvas all by yourself, shattering the sense of doom hanging over us. It showed everyone plain as day that the Supreme True Buddha might be powerful, but it's not unbeatable. Most folks here showed up to help just like we did, so boosting morale is key. With hearts aligned and steady, the broader outlook stays promising. So, no way was that a minor feat.”

The purple-robed youth heard this and nodded in agreement, then added:

“Fellow Daoist Er has it spot on. The hearts of people flow like water; divided, they're easy for enemies to disperse. But united into a sharp ice lance, they can stab right through barriers… Fellow Daoist Taiyi, your clash has frozen that water into ice for all. How isn't that a huge triumph?”

Wang Ba took in these words and could only bow his hands in resignation:

“Then I'll go along with Brother Daoist's plan.”

The group around him burst into laughter at that.

“Oh, and your string of five wins has racked up fourteen billion Cloud Shells. The treasures you wanted from the storehouse are already reserved just for you.”

The purple-robed youth sent this message privately all of a sudden.

Wang Ba blinked in surprise, then grinned and nodded, sending back:

“Many thanks, Brother Daoist.”

Earlier, he'd generously handed over six top-grade Dao Treasures to the man, with several motives in mind.

For one, he understood that even if Sect Leader Bai took them, given the situations at play, he couldn't hold onto every single one. So, Wang Ba left plenty of space for the leader to respond in kind, which is why he offered six rather than just a couple, showing thanks while giving the other leeway to reciprocate and strike a fair deal.

For another, as the proverb warns, the tallest tree catches the most wind. Fresh off beating five Bodhisattvas, he was in the spotlight, and nobody might eye him greedily yet, but once the buzz died down, all those top-grade Dao Treasures could draw unwanted attention. Dodging open strikes is straightforward, but sneaky ones are tough to spot, so fewer onlookers sniffing around is always safer. That's why he donated all six Dao Treasures publicly, strengthening ties with the Cloud Sky Realm and easing his own load at the same time.

As for the third point, while those top-grade Dao Treasures were valuable, he personally had no real need for them. Stashing them away for Little Cang World could mean ages before they'd see any action. Plus, their Cloud Shell worth wasn't sky-high, and earning more directly from clashing with those Bodhisattvas proved quicker for him.

In contrast, passing them to the Cloud Sky Realm brought all sorts of perks, making it a win-win delight.

He'd factored in the greater good too, of course.

What caught him off guard was how swiftly Sect Leader Bai returned the favor.

Guiding him into the Cloud Sky Sect's Qianguang Cave to grasp the “Returning All Streams to the Sect” Primordial Spirit Skill stood as one of the top rewards from this trip.

The items set aside for him in the treasury counted as extra perks from allying with the Cloud Sky Sect.

But the Cloud Shell count itself? He barely gave it a thought now.

The small group chatted and laughed as they headed toward the feast site.

En route, countless cultivators bowed respectfully to Wang Ba and his companions, paying extra homage to Wang Ba himself.

A typical Rogue Cultivator in this spot might feel swamped by the attention. Yet Wang Ba, as a realm lord with plenty of practice, stayed unfazed. Sure, these cultivators held lofty statuses, but to him, they were nothing special, so he replied with easy poise and warmth that drew people in.

The vibe in the Taoist Field wasn't gripped by the strain of an upcoming clash; instead, it hummed with a touch more ease and cheer.

Still, Wang Ba spotted that the safeguards around the Taoist Field's edges hadn't slackened—in fact, they'd ramped up a lot, proving the Cloud Sky Sect stayed on high alert against the Supreme True Buddha.

This observation eased Wang Ba's mind a bit.

But seeing the cultivator count in the Taoist Field surpass what it was before, he grew a tad worried and asked:

“Brother Daoist Bai, have all the domain's cultivators gathered here?”

The purple-robed youth confirmed with a nod and explained:

“Yes, the domain's sects have been holding down their own territorial nodes for years, staying on edge and worn out mentally. Now with this big win, since we're celebrating, how could we just let them spectate while we revel? I dispatched invites to bring them all in, turning it into a domain-wide party.”

“Won't this scale be too much? What if it slows things down…”

Wang Ba had to raise the point again, though he kept it to a private transmission instead of saying it aloud.

The purple-robed youth caught Wang Ba's worry and smiled reassuringly:

“Rest easy—even if the Supreme True Buddha strikes, everyone's a cultivator here. One mental command, and we're back at our posts. Not the full crowd's present anyway, so no cause for alarm.”

Wang Ba nodded faintly at that.

And let the matter drop.

He trailed right after the purple-robed youth to the banquet spot.

The feast sprawled across a cluster of central peaks in the Taoist Field. To fit the masses, the peak summits had been leveled flat. The biggest one dead center hosted the core gathering, ringed by the others.

With him emerging from retreat, droves of cultivators were already streaming into the area.

Those at Void Refining, Unification, and Tribulation Crossing realms claimed seats on the main peak. Even some standout Immortal Ascension and Nascent Soul talents got invites and spots on the fringes.

Wang Ba took in the massive setup and felt a wave of astonishment.

As Wang Ba stepped into the venue, a bunch of cultivators approached him. He pulled his wandering mind together, flashing smiles and exchanging greetings, but mid-conversation, a odd sensation hit him. He whipped his head around on instinct—and froze.

In the throng of people, he spotted a vaguely known silhouette in moon-white robes next to Chen Zhongqi and a red-robed young man who rang a faint bell, both staring back at him with matching looks of shock on their cool expressions.

“Grandmaster?”

The figure seemed equally stunned, then burst out in delighted wonder:

“You… Wang Ba?!”

Wang Ba hastily excused himself from the nearby cultivators, pushed through the crowd, and gazed with thrilled surprise at the moon-robed Daoist ahead, complete with a jade hairpin and crane-white hair.

Unexpected, but it made sense.

After more than two millennia apart, bridging the Immortal Forbidden Land and Sea of Chaos Realm over endless distances, he at last encountered old Sect elders here in the Cloud Sky Realm.

This Daoist was Hui Yunzi.

Right then, he stared at Wang Ba in utter disbelief. A rush of joy filled his chest, blended with worry and delight. Under the wide stares of Chen Zhongqi and the red-robed youth at his side, he lunged forward abruptly, seized Wang Ba's arm, and murmured urgently:

“You've ascended as well? What's the state of Little Cang World these days? Did you fix the Chaos Origin Substance shortage? How fares the Sect?”

The onlookers among the surrounding cultivators gawked in awe at the display!

A mere early Unification cultivator grabbing True Man Taiyi's sleeve like that.

Luckily, the crowd had sharp senses and quickly picked up on the emotion flickering in True Man Taiyi's eyes, hinting the pair were acquainted. Whispers flew, and they quieted down, though buzzing inwardly with questions: how does a powerhouse like True Man Taiyi link up with a Unification cultivator? Maybe this one's a blood relative of True Man Taiyi?

Wang Ba had no clue the bystanders had spun so many tales already. He gently pulled back his Protective Treasure Light to spare Hui Yunzi any harm, and facing the elder's rapid-fire queries, he stood momentarily at a loss—the path's trials were too vast to know where to begin.

Before he could reply, Hui Yunzi's worry overtook him in a surge of feeling. He pulled himself together, eased back a step, eyed Wang Ba closely, and his expression shifted faintly. Glancing at the imposing group trailing Wang Ba who observed silently, realization dawned, shock flashing in his gaze:

“Wait… no way… you're True Man Taiyi?!”

Wang Ba gave a small headshake:

“Grandmaster, feel free to use my name.”

Even as he brushed it off, how could Hui Yunzi miss the unspoken yes in Wang Ba's tone?

His mind reeled.

Wang Ba's eyes drifted briefly to the red-robed youth behind Hui Yunzi, who peered at him with curious astonishment. Spotting the youth's features, Wang Ba's pulse quickened a touch as he pieced together who he was.

Just then, Hui Yunzi hurried to present:

“This is the Qitian Patriarch.”