Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2415 - 207: Master of Quiet Cave (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
"That's exactly why the Master of Quiet Cave permitted me to remain in this place."
"Oh?"
Curiosity flickered in Wang Ba's eyes. Before, he'd been baffled about Xuan Yuanzi's purpose here and couldn't figure out why the man showed no fear of Ji Hu.
Xuan Yuanzi went on to clarify:
"I'm stationed here to impart the Dao Law to the Innate Divine Demons. With my own roots as an Innate Divine Demon, they place great trust in me. That's how I've managed to dwell among them, and even the Master of Quiet Cave shows me respect."
Enlightenment dawned on Wang Ba as he nodded, "I understand now."
The uncertainties lingering in his mind faded away in that instant.
For years, Xuan Yuanzi had hidden within the Little Cang World, mingling often with cultivators. His grasp and insight into the Dao Law far exceeded that of typical Innate Divine Demons, making it straightforward for him to instruct them.
While conversing, the trio—including Ji Hu—rushed past hordes of World Eaters without pause.
These World Eaters held an innate dread toward Innate Divine Demons, yet they harbored no such fear for cultivators. They held back from Wang Ba due to his aura, but Tao Bingji's presence ignited their savage hunger, teeth gnashing and bloodlust surging as they itched to strike.
Luckily, even as Wang Ba engaged in talk with Xuan Yuanzi, he stayed vigilant over Tao Bingji. With a casual flick of his sleeve, he swiftly masked the mortal's aura completely.
The nearby World Eaters lost their frenzy and dispersed immediately.
Tao Bingji shot Wang Ba a look of deep gratitude.
Their speed was blistering. Though Xuan Yuanzi reined in his pace on purpose to elaborate key details for Wang Ba, they soon traversed the thick fog of Chaos Origin Substance, and the scene before them abruptly widened.
Amid the profound blackness shrouded by Chaos Origin Substance, a colossal palace loomed vaguely, tucked away in the shadows.
It gleamed with vibrant hues, its design ancient and majestic, radiating a profound, unyielding presence that stood worlds apart from cultivator-built structures.
Deep within the palace dwelled an enigmatic, profound force—hidden from sight yet impossible to ignore.
Detecting their approach, a heavy voice rumbled slowly from the palace depths, layered as if woven from myriad echoes:
"Xuan Yuanzi, who accompanies you this time?"
Xuan Yuanzi responded with utmost deference:
"To answer the master, the one at my side is True Man Taiyi, the slayer of countless Bodhisattva Arhats in the Cloud Sky Realm conflict. Lately, he's brought Zhang’s Ruins under his banner and seeks an alliance with our Quiet Cave to stand united against the Supreme True Buddha... He has shared the grace of the Dao with me and bears no ill will toward Innate Divine Demons..."
That resonant voice cut in smoothly, devoid of warmth:
"He may have bestowed grace on you, but have I shown you no kindness?"
Xuan Yuanzi froze in shock.
After a brief pause, he pressed on with gravity:
"The master's grace upon me is undeniable, and Xuan Yuanzi would never forget it. Yet I swear upon my life and my Dao path that this True Man Taiyi differs from those Cloud Sky Realm cultivators..."
His sentence trailed off as a tremendous pressure burst forth from the palace, quietly blanketing the entire space!
Accompanying the force came the palace's muffled tone, laced with irritation:
"Would you betray Quiet Cave for the sake of a mere cultivator?"
The pressure hurled Xuan Yuanzi backward like a projectile, slamming him into the trailing Chaos Origin Substance and sending swarms of World Eaters fleeing in panic like startled flocks...
Ji Hu's expression twisted, his serpentine gaze locking onto Wang Ba with icy menace, though he refrained from any action, holding his position in the void with rigid respect.
Wang Ba's features tightened briefly. Acting without delay, he seized Tao Bingji and blurred forward, positioning himself before Xuan Yuanzi. The Yellow Dao Domain unfurled soundlessly ahead, while behind him, silhouettes of mighty divine beasts coalesced, all fixing fierce stares toward the palace!
From behind echoed Xuan Yuanzi's hacking coughs:
"No! Cough cough..."
"Do, do not rush into anything."
Wang Ba's face grew solemn, his eyes darting about, only to spot Xuan Yuanzi—his demeanor downcast—hurtling back from the Chaos Origin Substance's edge.
"Taoist Friend, are you okay?"
Noticing the concern and regret in Wang Ba's gaze, Xuan Yuanzi offered a faint smile and a subtle nod, then moved past him to stand ahead, inclining his head toward the palace:
"Xuan Yuanzi remains loyal to Quiet Cave... The master's clash with the Supreme True Buddha has sown deep enmity, and absent the barrier of Cloud Sky Realm cultivators, our Quiet Cave faces inevitable conflict. Rather than face ruin, why not back this True Man Taiyi to counter the Supreme True Buddha..."
"With him?"
A scoff of disdain echoed from the palace, cold and dismissive.
Wang Ba's eyes sharpened just a touch.
Still, Xuan Yuanzi shook his head and pressed:
"Cultivators possess boundless potential, unlike our kind. Who can say he won't one day eclipse us all?"
"Does the master know the span of his cultivation?"
The palace voice brushed it off:
"I've witnessed myriads of prodigies, yet only a handful ever ascend to heights like mine..."
Xuan Yuanzi bowed low in reply:
"Just over six thousand years."
Silence gripped the palace and the void around it in an instant.
Ji Hu, who'd stayed mute out of fear, suddenly bulged his snake-like eyes at the revelation:
"How, how long?"
Oblivious to the thickening tension, Xuan Yuanzi persisted with reverence:
"By my reckoning, a bit more than six thousand years—maybe even fewer—from a mortal untouched by cultivation until over three centuries past, when he toppled more than twenty Bodhisattvas alone..."
"Over six thousand years... that's barely a quick slumber?"
Ji Hu's once-narrow, chilling serpent eyes now stretched wide, inevitably shifting toward Wang Ba as a savage spark ignited within them.
If Xuan Yuanzi spoke true—that True Man Taiyi had ascended from humble mortal origins to his current might in merely over six thousand years—then failing to eliminate him now would squander a golden chance from the heavens!