Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2364 - 189: Subjugation (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Wang Ba let out a profound sigh, followed by a grave nod as he declared,
"Then, it's settled!"
He rose to his full stature and offered a respectful salute to the Chongyuan Patriarch,
"Regarding the Heavenly Observation Mirror, I request that the Patriarch gives it extra focus."
The Chongyuan Patriarch quickly stood to accept the gesture.
Wang Ba then turned his gaze to the assembled group, scanned the faces around him, lifted his hand with a grin, and announced,
"I call upon Qitian Patriarch, Grandmaster Shao, Grandmaster Xun, Elder Ji, Realm Lord Gan, Taoist Master Qiao, and King Yan to jointly oversee this scheme of passing off the false as true!"
Ji Ying had handled countless tasks across the Domain, from the Hundred Arts Academy and beyond, making his involvement indispensable for such endeavors.
Xun FuJun possessed bold ideas and decisive execution; he excelled as a hands-on leader, though his methods carried a sharp edge. Shao Yangzi brought steady composure and balance, perfectly suited to temper Xun FuJun's intensity.
Qitian Patriarch would spearhead the overall push for this plan without diving into the minutiae. After all, as one of the rare early-stage Rob Cultivators in the Sea of Chaos Realm, he boasted the right credentials and power level. Meanwhile, Gan Xiong, Qiao Zhongxu, and Yan Zhi stood for the Boundary Domain Force and the Outer World Cultivators. Securing their alliance was essential for forging unbreakable defenses and executing the wilderness ruse.
The gathering instantly grasped Wang Ba's strategy, and while Qiao Zhongxu wore a strained look, the rest voiced their agreement without hesitation.
Wang Ba cast a look at Qiao Zhongxu and addressed him directly,
"Oh, by the way, Fellow Daoist Qiao, during my time in the Realm Sea, I seized some followers of the Supreme True Buddha. Might any hail from the Jade Pot Realm's elders? Could you find a moment to check them out?"
"You've taken captives from the Supreme True Buddha?"
Qiao Zhongxu showed a flicker of astonishment.
Chongyuan Patriarch, Qitian Patriarch, and the others appeared to recall something, their eyes turning to Wang Ba with eager curiosity.
Wang Ba kept his composure, waved his sleeve casually, and hurled a figure into view.
The figure bore a golden form laced with Demonic Qi, monk-like in appearance, sealed by surface Divine Patterns, and lost to unconsciousness.
Yet the instant it materialized, gasps erupted from many cultivators in the chamber.
All those gathered, with the lowest at Unification stage, sensed the oppressive pressure radiating from the monk, marking him unmistakably as a Crossing Tribulation cultivator!
"It carries the vibe of early-stage Crossing Tribulation..."
Qiao Zhongxu fixed his stare on the monk, probed intently, then gave a faint headshake to signal unfamiliarity.
Qitian Patriarch murmured softly,
"This one's an Arhat."
The hall's cultivators reeled in shock upon hearing that, leaning in for closer inspection; a few Outer World Cultivators now regarded Wang Ba with heightened reverence and caution.
Wang Ba acted unaware, but from his sleeve emerged yet another figure.
"Yet another Arhat!"
Qiao Zhongxu's eyes narrowed just a touch!
Before that mild jolt could settle in his mind, his pupils shrank sharply!
Nearly simultaneous with the Arhat's emergence, a handful more Arhat forms tumbled forth.
"Three, four... eight... ten!"
Qiao Zhongxu's face grew stern, his emotions churning like a massive storm!
That many!
Ten Arhats!
Matching ten early-stage Crossing Tribulation cultivators!
To snag such a haul of Crossing Tribulation experts... This Taoist Master Taiyi, absent for merely over two centuries, what heights had he scaled in the interim?!
Not only him, but in the chamber, beyond the forewarned Cloud Sky Realm folks, even Shao Yangzi, Ji Ying, Yao Wudi, and the like betrayed faces of utter disbelief!
When did Crossing Tribulation cultivators become so commonplace?!
Wang Ba, though, creased his brow faintly,
"Nobody you know?"
Qiao Zhongxu jolted from his daze, surprise still clouding his gaze, scrutinized once more with care, and at last shook his head, a hint of regret in his tone,
"No, Fellow Daoist Taiyi has nabbed so many, yet sadly, none count as elders from our domain..."
"Don't worry, I've got more to show; see if any ring a bell."
Wang Ba uttered this, and amid the stunned stares of Qiao Zhongxu and the rest, lifted his other sleeve and shook it lightly.
In a flash, over twenty figures spilled from the sleeve in succession.
These newcomers, the moment they hit the ground, prompted the nearby cultivators to leap to their feet in awe.
Even Chongyuan Patriarch and Qitian Patriarch, along with the silent Taoist Man tucked in the shadows who hadn't uttered a word till now, revealed faces etched with astonishment and awe!
"Bodhisattva Realm... so many snared!"
Taoist Man felt a mix of thrill and shock inwardly,
"My hunch was spot on; he held his true strength back earlier! Freshly stepped into Crossing Tribulation? With prowess like this, if he's not Immortal Monarch Luhe, then who could it be?"
Wang Ba stayed poised, eyed the deeply troubled Qiao Zhongxu, and inquired mildly,
"Any you recognize among these?"
Qiao Zhongxu, right then, drowned in the overwhelming numbness of the revelation.
He stared blankly at the figures, their features blurring in his vision, though the auras surging from them crashed like relentless tides, turning every breath into a struggle.
In that instant, a profound helplessness welled up inside him.
He grasped the intent driving the display.
"Showing off might through these captured monks?"
A wave of bleakness washed over his heart.
Gathering his resolve, he examined the figures carefully one by one, until his gaze landed on a monk with a blazing red form, where he halted briefly, and his eyes lit up suddenly,
"That's... Grand Ancestor Liu?!"
"Oh? A familiar face?"
Wang Ba showed little surprise, his eyes sweeping to that individual, lingering for a beat,
"Wisdom Truth Bodhisattva?"
The monk lay insensate, none other than the famed leader among the Ten Bodhisattvas, Wisdom Truth Bodhisattva.
Qiao Zhongxu swiftly turned to Wang Ba,
"Fellow Daoist Taiyi, might you rouse him?"
Wang Ba gave a subtle shake of his head,
"It's not unwillingness on my part, but waking him risks shattering this Taoist Field... and the moment isn't right just yet."
Qiao Zhongxu hesitated briefly, then comprehended and bowed deeply to Wang Ba,
"I pledge to abide by Fellow Daoist Taiyi's plans!"
Wang Ba shot him a glance, aware of the misinterpretation, but as the outcome aligned, he saw no need to clarify further.
He nodded and stowed away the monks once more.
This time around, be it Qiao Zhongxu or the other Outer World Cultivators, their demeanors shifted markedly toward greater deference.
With no more ado, the assembly concluded, and the cultivators departed in turn, gearing up for the fortified defenses and the wilderness ploy ahead.
After a brief exchange with Zhao Feng and the others, learning the Domain's updates from Chong Hua, Wang Ba wasted little time.
Before long, having sorted through a slew of duties, he breathed out a lengthy sigh of ease.
With a mere thought, his form materialized atop the fondly remembered Wanfa Peak.
Atop the summit, an elegant silhouette had lingered in wait for quite some time...