Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2314: 172: Another Duel
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
A piercing whistle resounded across the entire Taoist Field.
The cultivators dashed to their assigned positions in a hasty yet disciplined manner.
Wang Ba and Hui Yunzi trailed after the purple-robed youth toward the water curtain overseeing the Cloud Sky Realm's borders, their faces etched with surprise:
“They’ve returned so soon?”
The purple-robed youth gave a grave nod:
“The Supreme True Buddha's challenge timings fluctuate, yet the gaps between them are undoubtedly shrinking...”
Wang Ba's face grew tense at these words.
Those narrowing gaps signaled an unmistakable truth.
The Supreme True Buddha's monks were likely running out of tolerance.
Before long, they arrived at the water curtain, where numerous other cultivators had already gathered besides them.
Glancing over the water curtain's shifts, they spotted the Eastern Great Bodhisattva guiding his monks back into the Outer Realm Void.
One Bodhisattva hovered on a Lotus Platform, approaching from the distance. From their vantage, the cultivators watched him halt in the emptiness close to the realm, proclaiming in a booming voice:
“By the decree of the Great Bodhisattva...”
Quickly, frowns creased the faces of everyone in the Taoist Field.
“The challenge terms have shifted once more, now pitting teams of ten against each other in formation clashes, with the winner taking three out of five rounds...”
A shadow of gloom crossed the purple-robed youth's features as he murmured to Wang Ba:
“These new rules appear tailored to counter you specifically, friend.”
Wang Ba stayed silent.
The stipulations did seem aimed at him, an expert in spell-based fights.
Regardless of a single cultivator's prowess, entrapment in a ten-member array without synergy would leave them hampered by allies, preventing the full display of their strengths.
Furthermore, Cloud Sky Realm's Crossing Tribulation experts numbered far fewer than the Supreme True Buddha's forces. Five clashes demanded fifty such cultivators. Should the foes deploy arrays of ten Bodhisattvas per bout, that equaled fifty Bodhisattvas, whereas Cloud Sky Realm struggled to assemble even half the needed mid-stage Crossing Tribulation powerhouses.
This implied that prior to any engagement, defeat loomed inevitable.
The purple-robed youth and fellow cultivators grasped this harsh reality, just as Wang Ba did.
“I've got a blueprint for a ten-man array—its potency is impressive. Let's all drill it swiftly; we might salvage a shot.”
An early-stage Crossing Tribulation array specialist voiced this.
The cultivators exchanged glances upon his suggestion, yet excitement remained subdued among them.
Within array techniques confined to ten participants, variations in array might yielded only modest disparities. Under these conditions, the personal might and synergy of the array's members proved crucial, determining if they could fuse their powers into a unified force.
“A solid array helps, but our origins span diverse realms, our paths of cultivation diverge, and bonds among us mix trust with doubt. Fully relying on strangers for protection proves challenging, unlike the Supreme True Buddha's tightly knit group. Ignoring raw power gaps, mere synchronization poses a headache.”
A mid-stage Crossing Tribulation expert shook his head with a heavy sigh.
Many agreed with reluctant nods.
Still, a few promptly proposed a fix:
“My ‘Heart Manipulation Puppet Technique’ lets me etch a unique seal onto a cultivator’s Primordial Spirit. The holder of the ‘master talisman’ can command with a mere intent, eliminating fears of botched teamwork.”
Though it failed to address clashing lineages and poor harmony, layering it over a base array at least promised tighter coordination, curbing breakdowns.
This sparked a flicker of hope in their eyes.
But it sparked a fresh dilemma: who would wield the ‘master talisman’ and lead the ‘master formation’?
The purple-robed youth interjected abruptly:
“Whoever holds the master talisman requires top-tier spell-fighting expertise and a robust Primordial Spirit. Lacking combat finesse means pointless effort. A weak Primordial Spirit can't juggle guiding nine allies' moves while fending off enemy assaults—it's brutally tough.”
At his words, all eyes swung toward Wang Ba.
Sect Leader Bai's criteria fit solely True Man Taiyi among the assembled, short of late-stage Crossing Tribulation.
Crucially, True Man Taiyi had prioritized rescuing comrades even amid past perils. That reliability bred confidence.
No one else measured up.
Wang Ba pondered briefly without outright declining, aware that concealing abilities now served no purpose. With a furrowed brow, he replied:
“I'll give it a go, but facing their ten-Bodhisattva arrays, we're short on mid-stage Crossing Tribulation numbers. Rotating lineups per round for five matches to claim three wins—we can't field enough for three bouts.”
The purple-robed youth's brow creased too:
“We'll adapt on the fly, enduring as long as we can. If push comes to shove, we'll swap shifts... And I'll strive to provide all with restorative pills.”
The cultivators' morale surged at his assurance.
But then True Man Nie chimed in:
“Requiring three wins from five bouts, with just one Taoist Brother Taiyi capable, he'd need three straight triumphs for victory. To sidestep surprises, perhaps the opening round should probe their prowess, buying Taoist Brother Taiyi time to ready himself.”
True Man Nie's suggestion prompted deep reflection from the purple-robed youth, who nodded:
“Taoist Friend Nie has a point, but who steps up first?”