"Indeed, an ordinary willow twig, just like the ordinary qualities of the White Egret Immortal, is one of the most ordinary things in the world."
Feng Baiyi walked around the artificial hill, avoiding the gazes behind her, a faint smile appearing on her lips: "There is indeed a willow branch in the Qiankun Circle, but..." She smiled, seemingly much more cheerful for a moment, and then left.
Gazing in the direction Feng Baiyi had disappeared into, Zhang Yaqi's heart was in turmoil. She slowly raised her head and repeated in a barely audible voice, "Qiankun Circle."
"The Universe Ring?" Although her voice was very low, it was clearly heard by Xiao Wenbing, who was listening intently.
"Wenbing, what brings you here?" Zhang Yaqi was startled by his sudden appearance and asked with a slight reproach.
"Hehe..." Xiao Wenbing chuckled awkwardly, "I arrived a while ago, but I saw you talking to Feng Baiyi, so I didn't come up. By the way, what did she talk to you about just now?"
Zhang Yaqi smiled and said, "It's nothing, just about the Qiankun Ring."
Volume Three: The Tribulation of the Five Elements, Chapter Eighty-Six: Resolve
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Xiao Wenbing glanced in surprise in the direction Feng Baiyi had left and said, "I didn't expect her to be interested in the Qiankun Ring. Sigh... Everyone wants such a treasure, but she's not a disciple of Tianyi, so she probably doesn't have the qualifications to participate."
Xiao Wenbing was not wrong. Feng Baiyi, like him, was an honorary elder, but he did not actually come from the Tianyi Sect.
Therefore, no matter how much one admires the Qiankun Circle, there is no way to participate in the competition for it.
"Tch..." Zhang Yaqi chuckled, "Wenbing, do you think everyone is like you, treating treasures like their own life?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback and asked, "Didn't she come for the Qiankun Circle?"
“Elder Feng didn’t want the Qiankun Ring, she…” Zhang Yaqi stopped abruptly, her face flushing slightly.
"What is she going to do?" Xiao Wenbing pressed.
"She encouraged me to give it a try." After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Yaqi finally told the truth.
"Give it a try? Hmm... Yaqi, have you made up your mind?" Xiao Wenbing's face was full of hope.
"Yes, I'd like to give it a try." Zhang Yaqi nodded gently, a hint of expectation flashing across her face.
"Good." Xiao Wenbing saw this and was delighted. He pretended to be angry and said, "I tried to persuade you for half a day the other day, but you were determined not to go. But as soon as Feng Baiyi mentioned it, you were moved."
Zhang Yaqi smiled tactfully and said, "Then I won't go, okay?"
Xiao Wenbing immediately changed his expression to a smile and said, "Oh, good Yaqi, I admit I was wrong, okay? Of course we have to give it a try. As the saying goes, 'Don't let good things go to outsiders.' How can such a good treasure fall into the hands of others?"
"Wenbing, you've changed," Zhang Yaqi sighed softly.
"I've changed?" Xiao Wenbing touched his face in surprise and said, "No, apart from becoming more handsome, nothing has changed."
Zhang Yaqi shook her head slightly and said, "Wenbing, you never cared about material possessions before. But since you entered the world of cultivation, you've become much more interested in these top-tier magical treasures."
Xiao Wenbing gave a wry smile. He used to not care about material possessions because he had a special ability that allowed him to create things at any time. So why would he care about such things?
The Qiankun Ring, however, was different. It was a treasure from the Immortal Realm, possessing immortal spiritual power beyond his comprehension, just like the Life-Saving Golden Talisman and the Heavenly Void Ring. He couldn't create these treasures out of thin air with his current abilities, and their power and efficacy were unparalleled. Therefore, he naturally coveted them whenever he encountered them.
But how should I explain these words to her? Should I tell her the truth...?
Xiao Wenbing's eyes darted around, and he said, "Yaqi, I also have my reasons." He held up his finger, on which a caterpillar was crawling.
"Butterfly Fairy?" Zhang Yaqi was taken aback. She couldn't understand how Butterfly Fairy was connected to Xiao Wenbing's predicament.
"Look, the Butterfly Fairy is almost in the process of forming her nascent soul, but my cultivation is too low. If a heavenly tribulation were to come down, I'd probably be reduced to dust. So I'm hoping to obtain some good treasures, at least to save my life."
“Ah…” Zhang Yaqi glanced at him silently, and finally said, “Wenbing, don’t worry, I will definitely get the Qiankun Ring for you at the treasure-giving ceremony tomorrow.”
Xiao Wenbing's heart trembled. Gazing at her beautiful face, he suddenly felt a pang of regret.
He remained silent for a long time before finally looking up and saying seriously, "The Universe Ring is not so easy to obtain, Yaqi. You can't force things. If you are in any danger, I will truly regret it."
Zhang Yaqi smiled slightly and remained silent. However, the more she did this, the more anxious Xiao Wenbing became. Filled with regret, he flipped his wrist, and a life-saving talisman appeared in his hand. He said, "Yaqi, look, I still have this life-saving talisman to protect myself. Even if two heavenly tribulations come at the same time, I'm not afraid. Don't push yourself tomorrow."
Just moments ago, he had hoped Zhang Yaqi would give it her all, but after she showed such determination, he became extremely worried. This feeling of uncertainty and anxiety was making him very uncomfortable.
"Okay, sure," Zhang Yaqi replied softly.
Xiao Wenbing looked at her suspiciously, and finally sighed. With her stubborn nature, once she made up her mind, it would be harder than climbing to heaven to change her mind.
"Here, take this." Xiao Wenbing suddenly shoved the life-saving golden talisman into her hand.
"Wenbing, what's wrong with you...?"
“I know you’re determined to achieve your goal. Since I’m advising you not to move, then take the life-saving golden talisman with you. It’s a treasure bestowed by the White Crane Ancestor. Since those two elders knew each other, flew to the Immortal Realm together, and bestowed treasures upon each other, they must have some unspeakable… no, some unknown close relationship.”
Xiao Wenbing chuckled and silently prayed that the two patriarchs would be magnanimous and wouldn't care about such a slip of the tongue.
He then added, "If you take the Life-Saving Talisman to retrieve the Universe Ring, your chances of success should be much higher. Even if it doesn't work out, with the Life-Saving Talisman protecting you, at least your life will be safe."
Zhang Yaqi took the life-saving talisman and suddenly smiled meaningfully. Xiao Wenbing saw this and, for some reason, felt a little uneasy.
※※※※
The following day at noon, thousands of people gathered again in the square.
Numerous guests, including those attending the ceremony, lined both sides of the square. The Qiankun Ring—the mere name of this treasure was enough to attract anyone's attention.
"It is noon. All disciples of our sect may now make their move until the treasure recognizes its master," the Tianyi Sect Master announced loudly.
Although the most precious treasures are said to be spiritually connected and can automatically recognize their owners, everyone hopes to try them out as soon as possible. If someone else gets them first when you clearly have the right to do so, you will regret it.
However, the first person to take the ring was the head of the Daoist sect, the Tianyi Sect Master.
His status and cultivation within the Taoist community are second to none, making him undoubtedly the first person.
The Sect Master of Tianyi Sect stood before the silver plaque in the center of the arena, pondered for a long time, finally let out a long sigh, walked around the plaque, and returned to his seat. To everyone's surprise, he actually gave up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Volume 3, Chapter 87: Virtual Heavenly Tribulation
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The treasures are tempting, and although the Sect Master of Tianyi Sect set a precedent by giving them up, it doesn't mean that the other elders will do the same.
It seems that those who harbor greed are indeed far more numerous than those who are peaceful and virtuous. Just like the second elder, who did not choose to give up.
The elder slowly walked to the Qiankun Circle, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and murmured something as if he were telling a story or praying for something.
After a long while, he finally ended what was, for him, a very solemn prayer…
Fortunately, he was a top expert in the Tribulation Transcending stage, which gave him the privilege of being delayed for so long. If it had been someone else, they would have been kicked off the stage long ago.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, after dawdling for a long time, he finally stretched out his withered fingers and grasped the Qiankun Ring.
However, the moment his fingers touched the Qiankun Ring, a sudden change occurred.
Centered on him, within ten steps, the sky and earth changed color instantly, lightning flashed, and a small vortex even faintly formed above his head.
Such a celestial phenomenon appeared extremely suddenly, as if it happened out of the blue, without any warning whatsoever.
"What's this?"
Exclamations of surprise rose and fell, and suddenly several figures flashed by, instantly disappearing into the distance. Their techniques were extremely subtle; although there were quite a few of them, no one present noticed them.
It wasn't until someone noticed that their superior had suddenly disappeared that they exclaimed in surprise.
Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat. He looked up and gazed into the distance, bewildered, at the old Taoist priest Xianyun, who had darted away like a mouse in the blink of an eye. Accompanying the old Taoist priest were the Sect Master of Tianyi Sect, Taoist Zhang, and a host of other top Taoist figures.
Xiao Wenbing was no ordinary person; he reacted swiftly and decisively. Without even thinking, several beams of light flashed across his body, and a series of spiritual talismans, including the Lightness Talisman, were activated.
"Second Senior Brother, hurry up!" Xiao Wenbing called out softly.
However, instead of retreating, he rushed forward like lightning into the large square with nearly a thousand people, and in full view of everyone, he picked up the bewildered Zhang Yaqi.
Then, without pausing at all, he sprinted away quickly into the distance.
Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. Without thinking, almost instinctively, he grabbed a cold, delicate hand.
In the blink of an eye, he had completed the difficult actions of blessing, giving a soft shout, hugging the person, holding hands, and escaping.
Still as a virgin, swift as a rabbit, as if he had rehearsed countless times, his movements were pleasing to the eye and as fluid as water. By the time everyone reacted, he had already carried Zhang Yaqi and pulled Feng Baiyi along, running far away to the foot of the old Taoist priest.
The crowd looked at each other, wondering what he was up to.
Suddenly, however, a thunderous, terrified roar echoed through the plaza: "Heavenly Tribulation..."
I don't know which guy opened his throat and shouted something with a hoarse, broken voice.
The square fell silent instantly, as if a moment of stillness had passed. Then, chaos erupted as everyone scrambled to retreat, creating a flurry of activity and confusion.
No one cared about the seniority of the Taoist sect anymore. Those who could fly flew, and those who couldn't run. In no time, the sky and the ground were overflowing with people.
The Sect Master of Tianyi stared dumbfounded at the changes before him. He had never seen such a chaotic scene before, let alone imagined it.
The veins on his forehead, which hadn't bulged for hundreds of years, stood out prominently. The Heavenly Dao Sect, with its thousands of years of history, had never been in such chaos as it was today.
"stop……"
A roar that was louder than thunder from the heavens, more powerful than a landslide and a tsunami, and more touching than the saying "There's only one mother in the world who is good" came from the mouth of this Taoist master.
Everyone fell silent, their eyes all turning to the renowned Tianyi Sect Master.
His face was ashen, and he swept his gaze around with eyes full of anger, heartache, and deep resentment.
Faced with such complex emotions in their eyes, almost everyone lowered their heads in shame.
"What...are you doing?" The Tianyi Sect Master lost his usual elegant demeanor and shouted sternly.
What are we doing? Of course, we're trying to avoid the heavenly tribulation. Everyone's gaze turned towards the center of the arena, and they were all taken aback.
There was no sign of any heavenly tribulation in the arena; the strange celestial phenomenon from before had vanished completely without a trace.
Looking up at the sky, the sun is high in the sky, and there isn't a cloud in the sky. What a beautiful and sunny day...