Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2399 202: Three Swords, Two
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
He couldn't pinpoint the answer, yet this very question had repeatedly surfaced in his thoughts ever since he stepped into the Tribulation-Transcending Realm.
Still, a straightforward response had eluded him every single time.
A quiet sigh rose from deep within his chest once more, as he whispered toward the treasure chest right in front of him:
"Patriarch, this unworthy disciple simply wishes to grasp this once-in-ten-thousand-years chance to fulfill the mission you couldn't finish, to bring Zhang's Ruins under one banner, and then follow your path to the Second Realm Sea...
Right then.
Beyond the seclusion chamber, an urgent knock rang out abruptly.
The noise yanked the middle-aged Daoist from his deep contemplation in an instant, wiping away the bewilderment and concern from his features, only to be replaced by a warm, gentle grin.
The treasure chest in front of him faded away silently, without a trace.
He called out softly toward the chamber's exterior:
"What's going on?"
From outside the seclusion chamber, the young disciple replied in a flustered tone:
"Sect Master, it's the Yin Family from Baichu...
At the mention of that name, the middle-aged Daoist's demeanor brightened. With no apparent effort, the chamber door swung open on its own, and he asked with clear anticipation:
"Have they finally accepted the alliance proposal?"
The young disciple lingered just beyond the threshold, hesitant to step inside, but shook his head vigorously:
"No, not at all...
The middle-aged Daoist's eyes narrowed a touch, and the grin on his lips twisted into a flicker of icy menace:
"So they turned it down?"
The young disciple flailed his arms in denial:
"That's not it either, well, it's out there! The tribute from the Yin Family of Baichu dropped off a calling card right outside the Daoist Grounds, claiming he'll come calling in three days...
"Tribute? Coming in three days for a visit?"
The middle-aged Daoist paused in shock, his harsh and grim look locked in place, a bit baffled:
"What reason could the tribute from the Yin Family of Baichu have for visiting us?"
"On top of that, a mere tribute... If my memory serves, the Yin Family of Baichu doesn't boast a Tribulation-Transcending Realm tribute, does it?"
The young disciple shook his head fast and explained:
"Have you overlooked it? More than three hundred years back, the Yin Family of Baichu brought in a Tribulation-Transcending tribute called Taiyi, though he got chased out by the Spirit Origin Prefecture and the Illusion Sky Realm...
With the disciple's jog to his memory, the middle-aged Daoist's forehead creased faintly, before it dawned on him:
"Oh yes, that fellow showed up quick and vanished just as fast, barely leaving a mark, but regarding this Taiyi tribute...
He paused briefly, as though recalling something, and inquired with knitted brows:
"He's not connected to True Man Taiyi of the Cloud Sky Realm, is he?"
"Probably not."
The young disciple, familiar with the details, responded:
"The Taiyi tribute from the Yin Family of Baichu was ousted by the Spirit Origin Prefecture, the Illusion Sky Realm, and that fake Palace Master of the Ten Thousand Demon Palace. If he were the 'True Man Taiyi' out of the Cloud Sky Realm, those three powers wouldn't have lasted a moment. A powerhouse who single-handedly crushed over twenty Bodhisattvas—how mighty is that? He wouldn't tolerate such humiliation, so it's likely just a name that happens to match."
Listening to this, the middle-aged Daoist gave a small nod, easing up a bit, and commended:
"You've really looked into this thoroughly."
But the young disciple didn't crack a smile, instead venting with irritation:
"That tribute from the Yin Family is truly over the top, dropping those words right outside our Daoist Grounds like it's a casual visit, but it reeks of bad motives—if you laid eyes on it, you'd be just as furious as me!"
At these words, the middle-aged Daoist's brow furrowed lightly, and with a mental probe, he spotted a row of striking letters suspended outside the Daoist Grounds. Short as they were, they brimmed with commanding presence, drawing him to voice them out:
"In three days' time, I shall arrive."
Ending with just two bold strokes: Taiyi.
Short and punchy, it radiated unyielding confidence, holding back yet hiding a keen edge.
"Impressive script, impressive cultivation!"
Though he approached with built-in wariness, the middle-aged Daoist found himself admiring the inscription, his gaze sharpening with interest.
He stood merely one step from the late Tribulation-Transcending Realm stage, and he faintly sensed the intent and densely packed principles woven into those sparse lines.
Naturally, being etched from afar, the infused power was restrained, so deeper insights remained out of reach.
Withdrawing his divine sense, he creased his brow again:
"Yin Tianzhi isn't one to miss the bigger picture; he ought to see who carries real weight in Zhang's Ruins... With our strikes lined up against Yutang Prefecture and Longcong Prefecture, why dispatch a tribute who's openly cut ties with the Yin Family and Zhang's Ruins right now—what's his game?"
"A probe? Or signaling something to the other powers?"
Yin Tianzhi's aim in this action left him utterly puzzled.
As he mulled it over, multiple beams of light streaked in succession outside the Daoist Grounds.
The middle-aged Daoist showed a hint of surprise, while the young disciple shot up swiftly to intercept every one, skimming their contents in a flash—his expression shifted, then he gazed up in disbelief:
"Sect Master, the Yin Family has dispatched calling cards to the other Eight Families too!"
"What?"
This news hit the middle-aged Daoist like a thunderbolt, prompting him to grab the report hastily, eyes racing over it, his shock deepening:
"The same three days?"
"Targeting all Nine Families together...?
"Just what scheme is the Yin Family brewing?"
He'd first assumed the calling card spelled out a challenge and braced for retaliation.
But learning it went to every one of the nine families at once stirred fresh uncertainty in him.
"Sect Master, how do we handle this?"
The young disciple voiced his concern:
"We've locked in our deal with Golden Water Pond to act, and things are primed on the Ten Thousand Demon Palace front...
The middle-aged Daoist's eyes tightened, as he weighed the possibilities repeatedly, still unable to decode Yin Tianzhi's purpose—it struck him as truly bewildering. After a brief internal debate, he uttered gravely: