Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2316: 172: Another Showdown (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Wang Ba executed intricate hand seals, fine-tuning the Formation while his Primordial Spirit hovered over his Xin Gate.
This Primordial Spirit looked like an empty void, swirling with chaos and darkness, much like a devouring black hole.
The other nine Primordial Spirits got warped by the Formation's influence, gathering near this black hole.
The Primordial Spirits belonging to nine cultivators at the middle stage of Crossing Tribulation were truly staggering!
A torrent of Primordial Spirit power crashed against the black hole, resembling raging rivers in flood, but it failed to disturb the black hole in the least.
Witnessing this spectacle, all the cultivators within the Taoist Field stood stunned, at a loss for words!
The Array Formation Cultivator bearing the compound surname Gongsun cried out in shock:
“Why would Taoist Brother Taiyi act so rashly! By letting the Primordial Spirits enter the Formation and fuse together, it links their minds and spirits, but it also crushes the Primordial Spirits of nine individuals onto the one at the Formation's heart—how could anyone endure such a burden!”
The young man in purple robes showed a hint of tension on his face as he stared at Wang Ba, who kept a composed and unruffled look, eventually suppressing his inner concerns and murmuring:
“Taoist Friend Taiyi's actions surely have their purpose; we should observe for the moment.”
With the purple-robed young man's firm assurance ringing in their ears, the crowd eased up somewhat, though anxiety and anticipation lingered.
Within the water screen, the situation had begun to shift dramatically.
The moment the Great Buddha Dharma Aspect spotted Wang Ba setting up the array, it lunged ahead with ferocious momentum.
Refusing to slacken or show mercy, ten top-grade Dao Treasures encircled it, manipulated by ten Bodhisattvas, and descended on Wang Ba's ten-person Formation like shooting stars!
Right then, the Primordial Spirits of the nine middle-stage Crossing Tribulation cultivators plunged into Wang Ba's own Primordial Spirit, forging an instant mental link that let him command their power freely; the Dao Domain rules of all ten swiftly intertwined, blending into Wang Ba's Yellow Dao Domain.
Without delay, nine top-grade Dao Treasures burst from Wang Ba's sleeve, clashing head-on with the approaching ones.
Meanwhile, the ten-person Formation darted like a bolt of lightning—despite the ten participants, no disorder arose, moving in perfect unity as they faced the oncoming Great Buddha; the array shifted, and around the black hole of the Primordial Spirit, the nine others joined in hand seals, when suddenly True Man Ba stepped forward, as though the ten-man array thrust out a limb, raising a palm to slam toward the Great Buddha!
Inside that palm, the Yellow Dao Domain churned wildly before swiftly shifting to red, where a dense Fire Style rule burst forth, raging wildly as if scorching the very void!
The Bodhisattvas inside the Great Buddha banded together now, brimming with assurance in facing the array, utterly undaunted; upon seeing True Man Ba's assault, they lifted their hands to counter.
From the observers' view,
it seemed the void itself parted as Wang Ba's ten-person Formation smashed into the Great Buddha with explosive force!
The instant after, flames erupted in a blaze, casting a glassy sheen across the Great Buddha Dharma Aspect, which trembled faintly, bizarrely starting to burn and dissolve!
“Impossible!”
Deep within the Great Buddha Dharma Aspect, the ten Bodhisattvas reeled in horror!
The enemy's ten-person Formation had unleashed a strike of unbelievable potency.
Almost at once, Wang Ba's formation morphed yet again, with another cultivator extending a hand that rapidly dyed the Yellow Dao Domain green, unleashing gusts and surges like towering mountains and vast oceans, layering over the flames.
Wind and fire whipped up in a storm, swallowing the Great Buddha in an instant!
The Great Buddha Dharma Aspect's exterior crumpled swiftly.
Next, yet another hand shot out, drawing on the might of the remaining nine, darkening the Yellow Dao Domain to black like a massive hammer crashing down!
Before the hammer fully descended, someone else took over, and without even landing a blow, an icy chill spread, as if draining every spark of light from existence…
The ten-person Formation whirled like a razor-sharp blade, slicing relentlessly into the Great Buddha.
Guided by Wang Ba, the ten-person Formation flowed as smoothly as an arm's extension, with each member tapping fully into the others' strength, pushing their capabilities to the peak, every attack hitting the absolute limit of the ten-man array.
Right now, it no longer resembled a mere ten-person formation but more like a master combat cultivator dismantling a bulky, awkward Great Buddha with ease.
In just a few breaths, the Great Buddha shattered entirely, revealing the ten Bodhisattvas who scattered in desperate flight.
Still, Wang Ba's ten-person Formation snatched a top-grade Dao Treasure fragment, unclear which unfortunate Bodhisattva had lost it.
At this sight, the Taoist Field's cultivators could hardly believe their eyes.
They had imagined countless scenarios, yet none included True Man Taiyi stepping in to effortlessly overwhelm the rival ten-person Formation.
Elation surged through them soon after!
Just a handful of late-stage Crossing Tribulation cultivators knitted their brows, mulling it over before realization dawned:
“In a true ten-person Formation clash, we'd never stand a chance against the Supreme True Buddha's Bodhisattvas, so Taoist Friend Taiyi cleverly fused their Primordial Spirits, truly making ten act as one—it's essentially two cultivators in magical combat, but their side has plenty of weaknesses, so they can't match Taoist Friend Taiyi at all.”
“That said, this works only because Taoist Friend Taiyi can withstand the Primordial Spirits of the other nine; no one else could pull it off.”
Admiration filled them genuinely.
The Primordial Spirit stands as a cultivator's vital core, capable of supporting the Dao Domain and rules when strong enough; thus, every Crossing Tribulation cultivator treats the Primordial Spirit with the same gravity as their Dao Domain, refining it with utmost care.
Under these conditions, even if True Man Taiyi's cultivation level lags a touch behind theirs, he managed to absorb the others' Primordial Spirits into his own, enabling flawless teamwork among ten, operating in total harmony—an astonishing feat, beyond full comprehension.
The purple-robed young man shared the shock; he had previously probed Wang Ba's Primordial Spirit and knew it was powerful, though not exceptionally superior in essence, yet this display exceeded his expectations.
“Did he obtain something special in Qianguang Cave?”
He wondered to himself.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the rival Supreme True Buddha dispatched another contender to the field.
On this occasion, even the head of the prior ten Bodhisattvas, Wisdom Truth, took the stage personally.
Yet the outcome barely varied.
The Supreme True Buddha's Bodhisattvas possessed real might, but against Wang Ba's orchestrated ten-person Formation, they moved like lumbering giants with mismatched steps.
Wang Ba's ten-person Formation, with spirits in perfect sync, unleashed the Formation's full might in every action, something they simply couldn't rival.
It was akin to a skilled butcher carving an ox, gliding through without resistance, suffering no backlash.
Especially cautious after losing a Dao Treasure before, the Bodhisattvas wielded theirs with extreme care, making it even harder to challenge Wang Ba; after short clashes, they routed in retreat.
Wang Ba required no substitutions, advancing straight to the following round.
As anticipated, three straight wins brought the lopsided challenge match to a swift, underwhelming end.
The Supreme True Buddha's monks fixed their eyes on the Cloud Sky Realm, the mood heavy and tense, as the Eastern Great Bodhisattva stayed mute, withdrawing with a grave demeanor.
Observing the Supreme True Buddha's forces pull back yet again, jubilation rippled through the Taoist Field.
Cloud Sky Sect cultivators threw together a festive gathering to honor Wang Ba's successive victories in the Supreme True Buddha's challenge.
The Taoist Field brimmed once more with buoyant cheer and delight.
Nevertheless, whether Wang Ba or the purple-robed young man, both lingered before the water screen, faces etched with gravity.
Twice now, they had resoundingly bested the Supreme True Buddha, buying True Man Gai additional time—a development that ought to bring relief, but should the Supreme True Buddha grasp that these challenges failed to corner the three Mahayanas, what moves would the monks make next?
Wang Ba felt unsure, detecting that some grand upheaval loomed close.
“How much more time does True Man Gai require…”
Wang Ba's tone dipped low, betraying his unease.
The purple-robed young man eyed the water screen, hands clasped behind his back, his mind veiled, and responded in a hushed voice:
“They require further chances…”
“Chances?”
What kind of chances?
Wang Ba furrowed his brow; hadn't they mentioned crafting a treasure to oppose the Tianshang Buddha Lord? What extra chances could be necessary?
Confusion clouded his thoughts.
But right then.
The purple-robed young man murmured suddenly:
“Taoist Friend Taiyi, as Heavenly Monarch's direct disciple, should things turn sour… be aware of the escape route.”
In the water screen, strange lights danced, illuminating his divine, strikingly handsome yet inscrutable features.
Wang Ba took in the words, and his heart plummeted.