Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2403 - 203: Salty Submission (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Even though it's largely guided by Taiyi True Man, that's still better than acting like a lackey for the powers inside the Laowen Sect.
Right then, Fan Fenglei gazed at Wang Ba encircled by six mid-stage Crossing Tribulation Cultivators, his emotions tangled up.
The events had indeed played out just as he'd foreseen, but quicker than anticipated.
"Looks like all the clans can't restrain themselves anymore, and the Yin Family is just too inexperienced, taking this hit—they might never bounce back... Curious what direction Spirit Origin Prefecture will head in."
For a brief moment, Fan Fenglei's feelings grew intricate.
This Taiyi True Man is truly powerful, yet in the end, he's alone and vulnerable—how could he stand against the numerous factions in Zhang’s Ruins?
Especially today, he shouldn't have shown his aims so openly before all those groups; maybe there'd be a shot if he'd moved in the shadows.
It's likely his high realm and cultivation level made him too arrogant about his power, leading to this massive blunder, drawing everyone's ire and squandering any shot at reversal... that's the harsh fact and reality of Zhang’s Ruins, but sadly, Taiyi True Man didn't catch on soon enough.
While he pondered with regret, a massive commotion suddenly burst out from behind!
Turning his focus forward, he got stunned right away!
Over there, Taiyi True Man flicked his sleeve, and hordes of Spirit Beasts surged forth, instantly morphing into rays of light that merged onto a gray-furred ape and the staff it gripped.
Within a mere instant, the gray-furred ape swelled up as if inflated with wind.
In a flash, it became a twenty-foot giant Demon Ape with gleaming golden eyes!
Three heads and six arms, its faces showing savage, dignified, or brutal looks!
Deep in those golden eyes, hints of Double Pupils appeared.
As the six mid-stage Crossing Tribulation Cultivators charged in unison, the Demon Ape bared a wicked grin, then extended a hand to seize the Black Gold Mixed Iron Ruyi Stick, vaulted high, and smashed savagely at the first attacker, the Master of Golden Water Pond!
Boom!
The Ruyi Stick crashed down with force, the Demon Ape's frame stayed steady, but a section of the Golden Water Pond Master's Dao Domain cracked apart, exposing the Master's stunned expression, while his momentum got abruptly cut off.
The Demon Ape swung the stick without stopping, its form grew larger once more, and its other five arms lashed out, each hand clashing against the incoming five Dao Domains!
Bang bang bang!
Five shaggy palms collided with the five oncoming Dao Domains!
The five Dao Domains got briefly stalled!
Under the shocked stares of the crowd, the Demon Ape alone pinned down all six mid-stage Crossing Tribulation Cultivators, holding its ground without faltering!
Yin Tianzhi, who was speeding through the air to join Wang Ba, caught sight of this and halted in the sky, frozen in disbelief.
Fan Fenglei and the Illusion Sky Realm's Realm Master, Sang Kong, were first dazed, then their gazes lit up with sudden hope!
Cheng Lianzi's face darkened instead, his eyes darting quickly between Wang Ba and the Demon Ape, as if piecing something together, before his form vanished quietly from where he stood.
"He actually commands such a savage divine beast!"
The Golden Water Pond Master and the Yutang Mansion Master, now showing themselves, couldn't hold back their astonished cries.
"Hold on, why does this feel so recognizable?!"
It wasn't the Demon Ape itself that rang a bell, but the pairing of person and divine beast...
The earlier rejected theory popped back into mind.
The matching name, the similar setup, even with minor differences, the similarities were piling up too much... it raised way too many doubts...
While everyone grappled with these doubts.
A raging fiery glow abruptly flared in the emptiness, resembling a comet crashing into the moon, hurtling straight at the apparently exposed Wang Ba!
At that moment, the whole nasal cavity brimming with Chaos Origin Substance seemed pulled toward the fiery glow, swiftly funneling in and making the glow swell fast while boosting its velocity!
Yin Tianzhi's face twisted, he shouted out in fury and alarm:
"Cheng Lianzi!"
After a split-second pause, he dashed forward without delay to intercept!
"That's the Mahayana Relic from the Laowen Sect!"
Fan Fenglei's pulse quickened at the sight of the intense fiery glow, his Spiritual Sense buzzing with frantic warnings!
He'd never laid eyes on it, yet he knew right away.
The Laowen Sect had birthed Mahayana Cultivators in the past, boasting profound roots unlike any other faction.
Even in its current decline, every power in Zhang’s Ruins viewed it as a prime candidate to dominate because of this Mahayana Relic—unseen by all, but unquestioned in existence.
From that glow, he sensed a presence surpassing mid-stage Crossing Tribulation, confirming it instantly.
"Probably Cheng Lianzi's realm caps it at late-stage Crossing Tribulation strength, or else it'd pack even more punch than this..."
Even calling it 'only,' Fan Fenglei bellowed urgently right after:
"Hurry and set up the formation, shield the imperial palace!"
Spirit Origin Prefecture had no proper Taoist Field, and while Formations existed, their protection was fairly weak.
The Cultivators from Spirit Origin Prefecture wasted no time, rushing to arrange a Formation around the temporary imperial palace of Spirit Origin Prefecture.
Fan Fenglei watched the incoming fiery glow intently, struggling to track its blistering pace.
Despite the flurry of events, everything had unfolded in just a heartbeat.
Yin Tianzhi had barely summoned his Dao Domain, ready to soar and block, when the fiery glow surged ahead, dodging past him in a streak, barreling forward with fury, and slamming right up to Wang Ba's front!
Within the fiery glow, Cheng Lianzi's outline faintly emerged.
His features looked grim but determined:
"No matter if you're the True Man Taiyi from Cloud Sky Realm, you have to perish!"
He'd already figured out the opponent's identity—likely the legendary 'True Man Taiyi' who'd dominated the Cloud Sky Realm conflict more than three centuries back—but it made no difference.
Zhang’s Ruins could never tolerate a figure like True Man Taiyi!
"Taoist Friend Taiyi!"
Yin Tianzhi twisted around just in time to see, crying out in terror.
But all he could do was watch the flames swallow Wang Ba's figure...
Around them, those battling the Demon Ape pushed it back for a second, eyeing the flames with a mix of terror and glee.
Even now, some at last spotted the eerie wrinkles the fiery glow tore through in the void.
"It really is a Mahayana Relic!"
Amid the inner fear, a deeper unease and icy dread settled in.
Yet before joy could spread, they all went rigid.
The raging fiery glow shockingly shrank away in a hurry!
After only a couple of blinks, two silhouettes appeared inside, facing off against one another.
Cheng Lianzi, face ashen, clutched a Fire Stone, staring at Wang Ba with bulging eyes, as if he couldn't believe it.
"You, you really are..."
On the Fire Stone, the fiery glow reversed, streaming directly into the Yellow Dao Domain in front of Wang Ba.
The Yellow Dao Domain churned wildly, bubbling with crimson fire, as the glow flooded in, like it was cooking up something fierce.
Wang Ba's face stayed calm, untouched, gazing at Cheng Lianzi with a hint of pity:
"Looks like Taoist Friend disagrees with what I said before, so if that's how it is..."
From within the Yellow Dao Domain, the swallowed fiery glow erupted back with amplified rage toward Cheng Lianzi!
Its might was every bit as strong as earlier!
Right before impact, Cheng Lianzi's frantic voice rang out:
"I concede!"
"I concede!"
The bursting fiery glow came to a screeching halt, turning tame like a well-behaved Spirit Beast.
Wang Ba narrowed his eyes a touch, fixing on Cheng Lianzi wrapped in the fiery glow.
He sensed the icy glare in those eyes, and the looming flames encircling him.
Though the heat scorched, Cheng Lianzi broke out in cold sweat down his spine!
Wasting no time, beneath the stunned and furious glares from the Golden Water Pond Master and others nearby, he hastily composed himself and declared:
"Before, I just wanted to check if True Man Taiyi truly means to rescue Zhang’s Ruins, and now that I've checked, I'm relieved it's not a letdown."
"With that settled, the Laowen Sect pledges to follow True Man Taiyi!"
"We'll clear out the barriers in Zhang’s Ruins for true unity, and drive away those blind to the era!"