Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2317 - 173: Breaking the Boundaries

"Bai Lechan serves as the sect leader of a renowned sect, and he's even the unspoken ruler of the Cloud Sky Realm. Then why on earth would he back down when facing tough challenges?"

Wang Ba rested inside the immortal cave that the Cloud Sky Sect had prepared just for him, his mind brimming with obvious bewilderment.

Next to him, Hui Yunzi furrowed his brow a bit:

"Maybe this assault from the Supreme True Buddha surpasses all the previous ones. Even Sect Leader Bai and his allies lack the assurance to hold it off..."

"If they're lacking the confidence to fight back, how come the celebration feast outside is buzzing with such energy?"

Wang Ba gestured toward the exterior, shaking his head while speaking:

"In my shoes, if I couldn't overpower them by strength and couldn't escape because of this domain, I'd surely exhaust every trick to boost the power of every cultivator here, aiming to deal the heaviest blow to the foes and make them wary enough not to cross the Thunder Pool even slightly."

"Yet Cloud Sky Sect throws a party after each win. If those past festivities were meant to lift spirits, then this time, by summoning so many cultivators once more for such a wild celebration, it almost looks like they're scared the Supreme True Buddha won't hear about it. Something unusual points to a secret; could Cloud Sky Sect really be that lacking in faith?"

Hui Yunzi, upon hearing these words, revealed a hint of surprise:

"Are you suggesting that Cloud Sky Sect has laid a scheme within the realm, drawing the Supreme True Buddha into their snare?"

Wang Ba creased his forehead and replied:

"I'm just guessing at these possibilities; it might turn out that way, or perhaps it's merely a ploy of the empty city. The true aims of Cloud Sky Sect remain hidden, so nobody can say for sure... If they're truly planning to pull the Supreme True Buddha's troops into the realm, there has to be one key assumption—that Cloud Sky Sect believes it can devour the Supreme True Buddha's forces together with everyone here!"

"If not, it'd be like welcoming the wolf right into the home instead of tempting the enemy into the trap."

"The real question is, does the Cloud Sky Realm hold that kind of power?"

Hui Yunzi gradually shook his head.

The response was obvious; if the Cloud Sky Realm actually possessed such might, it wouldn't face a blockade from the Supreme True Buddha, and it wouldn't need to use this kind of desperate lure.

This strategy might sound sharp, but in reality, it's a dangerous gamble where the slightest slip could doom the realm and slaughter its inhabitants.

"So if we rule that out, why is the Cloud Sky Realm staging this show on purpose?"

Wang Ba thought deeply and then stated:

"Sect Leader Bai from Cloud Sky Sect isn't the type who only handles inner matters, and he's clearly trusted by True Man Gai to lead the Cloud Sky Sect. A leader like that wouldn't commit such a basic error; he's always cautious and harbors real ambitions..."

"Is it because of those three Mahayana cultivators?"

Hui Yunzi abruptly recalled something and voiced it.

"Mahayana cultivators..."

A thoughtful glint appeared in Wang Ba's eyes.

Mahayana cultivators truly represent the biggest wildcard in the clash between the Supreme True Buddha and the Cloud Sky Realm.

The Supreme True Buddha's army has delayed its full assault out of dread for the three Mahayana cultivators residing in the Cloud Sky Realm.

Beings of that caliber, unless struck by surprise or a pre-set ambush, prove nearly impossible to seize during a grand conflict with such wide-reaching consequences.

And should they break free, they'd create enormous headaches for the Supreme True Buddha's forces too.

That's why the Supreme True Buddha keeps tightening the encirclement, yet holds back from an all-out strike, just probing with ongoing skirmishes to wear them down until the three Mahayana are compelled to emerge.

The Cloud Sky Realm clearly understands the enemy's scheme, but with such a vast gap in power, they're obliged to follow the foe's pace, scheming tactically to grant the three Mahayana more time.

Still, after mulling it repeatedly, Wang Ba sensed something amiss:

"Even if that's true, plenty of pieces still don't fit... Once war erupts, all three Mahayana will surely join the fray in a desperate struggle. But instructing me to run if things go south... it makes me think this conflict could be way more dangerous than anyone pictures."

"Yet what could possibly be more dangerous than what's already happening?"

For an instant, he couldn't puzzle it out.

But suddenly, it hit him, and he turned to Hui Yunzi:

"Grandmaster, with big shifts on the horizon, no matter what Cloud Sky Sect has planned, it's clear the realm's interior is far riskier than the Taoist Field—no, actually, this Taoist Field might be the securest spot. You should notify the Patriarch right away to have them head to the Taoist Field... but keep it under wraps."

At these words, Hui Yunzi's face paled a touch:

"I'll head out immediately."

Wang Ba gave a nod.

Even if the danger isn't as severe as he fears, extra caution never hurts.

Right then, Hui Yunzi swiftly departed the immortal cave.

Beyond, the festive vibe from fending off yet another Supreme True Buddha incursion hung in the air, with banquet setups pressing on; Wang Ba paused to reflect, then claimed he needed to recuperate from exhaustion, securing a quiet cultivation room where he swiftly refined the assorted Dao Treasures he'd obtained, before freeing the black rhinoceros he'd taken from Wisdom Truth.

The black rhinoceros emerged with a blank look, as if stripped of any spiritual awareness.

However, Wang Ba, a master of The Way of Beast Tamer, soon spotted in the black rhinoceros's primordial spirit a thick web of strange golden markings, an entirely alien concept to him.

Those very strange golden markings had turned this black rhinoceros into a being much like the Sea of Chaos Realm cultivators whose natures were corrupted by the Six Paths Pond Water.

Wang Ba considered it briefly, then let loose a cultivator from the Sea of Chaos Realm.

Having been soaked in the Six Paths Pond Water, his personality had shifted dramatically. Though confined in Wang Ba's sleeve for years, upon release he displayed neither delight nor distress, his features set in a serene smile and peaceful demeanor.

When Wang Ba patted his head and delved into his primordial spirit, the cultivator didn't resist in the least.