Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2393 - 200: Heavenly Demon (2)

Back then, the spectacle seemed impressive, yet it was just a show designed to deceive everyone else.

Caught right in the thick of things, he struggled to escape the era's restrictions, and lacking solid details, he could only figure that the Cloud Sky Realm had been pushed into a corner, forced to roll the dice with a daring bet.

"What a bold play!"

Wang Ba couldn't hold back his praise.

Though the Cloud Sky Sect probably had backup plans in place, staking the fate of a whole realm to gauge the Supreme True Buddha’s response revealed the daring and merciless nature of whoever was pulling the strings in this deadly game.

At the same moment, a wave of caution washed over him.

The Cloud Sky Realm faced dire straits, and at that time, countless cultivators rushed to help upon hearing the call, driven by a sense of common fate. The realm ought to have remembered that debt, but as he pulled back, he witnessed numerous outside helpers who had come to fight end up dead on the field.

Sure, leading from the top often demands tough calls, but going that far crossed the line into needless cruelty.

"Old Man Gai operated just like that; to safeguard the Cloud Sky Sect, he proved far more cutthroat than me. Still, he mastered the art of words and deeds, earning a stronger standing than the Void Demon Realm, even while pushing boundaries further, tsk tsk, and folks still owed him one."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ let out a soft laugh, displaying clear disdain for True Man Gai.

Wang Ba heard this and stayed neutral. True Man Gai might not be a saint, but the Void Demon Realm's leader was no saint either. It just proved that birds of a feather flock together, varying only in shade.

But soon enough, other thoughts crossed his mind, leading him to ask out of curiosity:

"My junior brother beyond the Cloud Sky Realm mentioned the monks gearing up for the Sea of Chaos Realm—I figure that was your doing... You kept your true self hidden before, so why step into the light now?"

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ gave a chuckle and replied:

"I wasn't doing it out of goodwill; he chose to move on his own."

"Naturally."

"As a follower of Heavenly Monarch Chao, you're part of the family. No issue sharing this with you."

"As for my presence here..."

He stopped briefly, his face turning grave:

"Sure, this Buddha Lord commands two mighty Buddha corpses, but the Third Realm Sea holds its own equilibrium. Based on my long watch, he's probably locked in self-seal, drifting between wakefulness and slumber, which is why I can slip by unnoticed. That said, beings like him, even sealed away, possess sharp Spiritual Sense. Any action disrupting this Dharma Realm would jolt him awake right away... Though, idle talk like ours stays harmless."

"Self-sealing?"

Wang Ba showed a bit of astonishment.

Then greater confusion hit him:

"If ascension was possible, why linger in the Third Realm Sea?"

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ offered no reply.

Wang Ba caught on fast:

"Is this tied to that ’Buddha’s son’ you brought up before..."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ nodded in approval:

"Heavenly Monarch Chao truly took on a fine disciple—yes, the Buddha’s son, the next in line for Buddha Lord. I suspect that Buddha Lord is fighting to hold back his realm, which explains the recent call for selecting the Buddha’s son."

A cold shiver ran through Wang Ba:

"My junior brother hasn't picked up Buddhism’s doctrines, so won't the Buddha Lord see right through him?"

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ smiled and shook his head:

"You're off the mark there. On the day he rose to the Cloud Sky Realm, I took him with me, and he crossed the Six Paths Water. But I've got methods to keep his essence intact."

"A bold step?"

Surprise flashed in Wang Ba’s eyes, followed by joy:

"So, when this Buddha Lord ascends, doesn't that mean we can..."

"Exactly as you think—that's my scheme."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ confirmed with a nod:

"Hold steady; his ascension will bring our chance for payback without fail."

"That said..."

He halted, eyed Wang Ba as the glow around them faded, uncovering an ordinary visage, and spoke earnestly:

"You wondered why I blocked you and showed my face—the answer's straightforward. You're no slouch. From Bai Lechan's account, you're top-tier among those below late-stage Crossing Tribulation. Handled right, you could match a late-stage expert in impact..."

Wang Ba paused briefly but held his tongue, listening on.

"Even after that Buddha Lord ascends, he'll probably sweep away nearby threats first... I've staged my demise to get away, but Old Man Gai and the Quiet Cave Master remain, along with the Glazed Buddha Realm. Without their quick move this round, Old Man Gai could've been done for."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ mentioned True Man Gai’s setback with a touch of scorn.

Wang Ba mulled it over, sketching a rough outline from the hints of events post his exit from the Cloud Sky Realm, then had to inquire:

"Looks like I'm not involved here."

"Far from it."

The ’Lord of Six Paths’ flicked his hand dismissively, sinking into the chair by the stone table, reclining a touch, fixing Wang Ba with eyes gleaming oddly, and grinned:

"The Cloud Sky Realm's image took a hit this time. And Old Man Gai? I don't fully buy into him..."

"Yet beyond the Cloud Sky Realm and Glazed Buddha Realm, we need a group to draw the Supreme True Buddha’s focus—be it for stalling or uncovering deeper secrets... You fit the bill perfectly: careful, keen, and strong enough."

Wang Ba considered it, then gradually shook his head: