A sharp cry came from afar.
As if given a command, all the birds turned sharply and flew away with a whoosh, leaving Xiao Wenbing and the others staring wide-eyed as the flock disappeared from sight.
"White Robe, you're amazing! You chased away so many monsters in no time." Xiao Wenbing said with a hearty laugh, watching the birds fly away into the distance.
According to their original plan, if the birds launched an attack, they would go all out and test the full power of their shield formation. However, to their surprise, the birds came on strong but their attack was weak and they retreated immediately.
I really don't know if they're too clever for their own good, or just a bunch of cowards.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, shall we give chase?" Elder Yan stepped forward and asked softly.
Since Elder Yan's cultivation progressed rapidly, he has become the undisputed representative of this group. Not to mention the many experts from the Yan Realm, even those fierce and ruthless people from the cultivation world are completely convinced of his abilities.
There's nothing they can do; their strength is undeniable, and they simply don't have the capability to rebel.
"Chase them?" Xiao Wenbing glanced at him and said, "Those guys are natives of this immortal realm. We're new here and don't know anyone. As long as they don't bother us, let's just let them be."
"Yes," Elder Yan replied respectfully, then asked, "So what should our next step be?"
"These birds came from the west, where there are mountains, not suitable for our future development. I think we should try our luck to the east."
No one objected to Xiao Wenbing's decision. Once in this unfamiliar place, everyone consciously obeyed his orders and followed his lead.
With a wave of his hand, a point of white light shone from each person's body, gathering together like a tide and entering the Heavenly Void Ring. Now that they had arrived in the Immortal Realm, the Nascent Soul used to conceal their aura was no longer of use and naturally had to be retrieved.
Having lost the concealment of their Nascent Soul stage, everyone naturally exuded their true aura. Each person remained silent, cautiously sensing the genuine information between their companions.
Xiao Wenbing watched intently, just like everyone else. After a long while, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. After more than a year of cultivation in the lower realm, more than 80% of the tens of thousands of people had successfully reached the Integration Realm. Under the guidance of the immortal spiritual energy, their nascent souls and physical bodies were perfectly integrated and no longer separated.
In this way, one will have unparalleled benefits in sensing and cultivating the spiritual energy of heaven. Compared with the past, it would not be an exaggeration to describe it as progressing by leaps and bounds.
Furthermore, once the nascent soul and physical body are perfectly integrated, the speed and power of spells used in combat will greatly increase. This will be excellent news for magic-based cultivators.
Looking at Quini, he finally understood why, given the guy's volatile personality, he would still focus on magic after ascending to immortality.
For immortals at the Integration Realm, those who rely on magic have a significant advantage over those who depend on their physical strength. Therefore, focusing on magic cultivation is the only choice for the vast majority of immortals who have just ascended to the Immortal Realm.
Among the crowd, although about 20% had not yet reached the Integration Realm, judging from their momentum, they were on the verge of fusion. In this environment rich in spiritual energy, they could achieve their goal in at most a year.
He was secretly delighted. Mirror God's estimation was indeed correct. Although the Ten Thousand People Chain Tribulation was a bit dangerous, it created a group of experts at the Integration Realm, saving everyone nearly a thousand years of arduous cultivation. Taking this risk was worthwhile.
Most people were satisfied with their own and their companions' cultivation levels, and they were even more convinced of Xiao Wenbing's abilities.
Just as everyone was about to set off eastward, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared in the sky.
A thick, inky black cloud rolled in from afar, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder, resembling a celestial calamity about to descend.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never expected that they would be facing a heavenly tribulation so soon after ascending to the Immortal Realm. What was going on?
"I understand," Xiao Wenbing murmured, looking up at the sky.
"Understand what?"
"Now I know why those birds fled in such a hurry."
Zhang Yaqi's eyes lit up, and she asked, "You mean they were able to sense the coming of the Heavenly Tribulation even before it happened?"
“That’s right. Among these birds, there are a few whose strength we can’t even discern, which means they are at least at the Nascent Soul stage or above. Although we outnumber them, they might not be afraid of a group of immortals who have just ascended to the Immortal Realm.”
Zhang Yaqi pondered for a moment and asked, "Without any warning, how could they sense the arrival of the Heavenly Tribulation in advance?"
Xiao Wenbing spread his hands and said with a wry smile, "Heaven knows, nobody knows." He pointed at Feng Baiyi and said, "Perhaps, your sister Feng knows."
Feng Baiyi shook her head slightly and said, "I am a Heavenly Thunder Body, so I can sense it one step ahead."
The calamity was about to descend, but it was only a very subtle feeling. As for why those birds were able to know it in advance, I really don't understand.
Although the heavenly lightning was approaching, the people who had experienced the great tribulation of ten thousand people did not take it to heart.
"Boom..."
Xiao Wenbing and the other two stopped talking, looked up at the sky, and saw dark clouds rolling in, gradually approaching. Everyone's eyes were once again focused on Xiao Wenbing.
"This is our brother's thousand-year tribulation." Quini calmly glanced at the sky, bowed to Xiao Wenbing, and said, "Master, we are going to meet the tribulation."
After saying this, Quini and the other three split into four directions and flew away from the main force, instantly arriving dozens of miles away. They took out their weapons and shields and stood ready for battle.
The immortal artifacts they possessed were specially crafted by Xiao Wenbing, especially Quini's Flame Spear and Shabir's Banana Leaf Fan, which were among the best of all immortal artifacts. After absorbing the immortal spiritual energy of the Great Tribulation of Ten Thousand People, they already possessed power no less than that of a mid-grade immortal artifact. Therefore, they were full of confidence in safely passing through this round of the Millennium Tribulation.
Seeing the strange expressions on everyone's faces, Xiao Wenbing couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Since we've all agreed to live and die together, are we just going to watch them face this calamity alone? Elder Yan, why don't you lead half the group to set up the formation?"
Elder Yan and the others responded enthusiastically, and led half of the immortals from the Yan Realm to Quini and the others, where they instantly set up four small Earth Xuanwu Shield Formations.
As for the people next to Xiao Wenbing, the remaining half were no pushovers either. Under Zhang Yaqi's command, half of the Xuanwu Shield Formation was like an impenetrable wall, completely impenetrable.
The thick fog and clouds in the sky seemed to possess wisdom, dividing into five parts, which moved to the heads of Xiao Wenbing, Quini, and the others.
Because Xiao Wenbing had to bear half of the heavenly tribulation from each of Quini and the others, the storm above his head was obviously the largest, seemingly more powerful than the combined heavenly lightning above the other four.
This is the nature of the Heavenly Tribulation and Earthly Calamity: one plus one is definitely greater than two. That's why Quini and the others scattered, in order to avoid triggering a chain of calamities.
As for Xiao Wenbing, he had no way to split his body into four, so he had no choice but to endure these extra heavenly lightning strikes.
Thunder roared down, its thunderous sound shaking the heavens. In a short while, several bolts of lightning struck the Xuanwu Shield Formation.
However, having experienced the Great Heavenly Tribulation that affected tens of thousands of people, how could they possibly take such heavenly lightning seriously? Although the lightning was still fierce and the heavenly lightning was still powerful, when they encountered the Xuanwu Shield Formation, it was like raindrops hitting an umbrella, unable to penetrate the shield formation's blockade.
Hidden below, Xiao Wenbing, Quini, and the others remained calm and collected, safely withstanding the heavenly tribulation without even having a chance to make a move.
The smoke cleared and everything returned to normal. This calamity did indeed serve as a training ground, but apart from that, it did not cause any casualties or disruption to the main force.
"Hehe... there's strength in numbers, that's definitely true."
Having safely survived the tribulation under the protection of many, Xiao Wenbing shared his thoughts, giving the highest praise to the feat of tens of thousands of people ascending simultaneously.
Of course, as the initiator, he was admired by many newly promoted immortals from the Second Realm for his foresight.
Back with Xiao Wenbing, Quini and the others were filled with gratitude, and even Elder Yan and the others were beaming with joy. These people held Quini and the other immortals who had descended to the mortal realm in extremely high esteem, and were absolutely willing to help them through their tribulations.
"Thank you, Master, and thank you all, fellow immortals." The four most senior immortals, including Quini, set aside their airs and sincerely thanked everyone.
Only after they survived the heavenly tribulation could they truly put their minds at ease.
After the initial commotion, Xiao Wenbing clapped his hands and announced loudly, "Everyone, we are new to the Immortal Realm and are unfamiliar with the surrounding situation. Let us proceed with caution for now."
After saying that, he waved his hand and took a phoenix hairpin from Feng Baiyi's head. With a flick of his wrist, it transformed into a butterfly fairy.
When thousands of people ascended to the immortal realm, Xiao Wenbing was most worried about Butterfly Fairy, so he transformed her into a phoenix hairpin and asked Feng Baiyi to take good care of her.
Only after confirming that everything was safe and sound was she allowed to come out.
Following Xiao Wenbing's instructions, Diexian took out the Starry Sky Illusionary Realm. This magic weapon, which was originally of the level of a celestial artifact, had evolved again after absorbing a large amount of celestial spiritual energy, and its power was even more profound and unfathomable.
A wave-like current swept through the void, and in the next moment, tens of thousands of people vanished without a trace.
At that moment, they did not notice that tens of thousands of meters in the sky, a giant eagle-like bird suddenly froze in surprise.
A cold sweat broke out on its forehead. This celestial bird at the avatar level was unable to see through the illusion set up by the Starry Sky Illusion Realm, and could only watch helplessly as Xiao Wenbing and the others disappeared from its sight.
Volume 7, Chapter 14: Pretending
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"I don't know. Every immortal realm is different. I used to live in the Linglong Immortal Realm, and I know nothing about the specifics of that realm."
"Yeah, but you can tell these guys aren't any good."
These few words of conversation suddenly echoed in the void; if an ordinary person were to see them, they would probably be scared out of their wits.
The Starry Sky Illusionary Realm is indeed a supreme treasure. After ascending to the Immortal Realm, what it forms is no longer just a simple illusion. Under the command of the Butterfly Fairy, a small, movable mustard seed space was formed within the Starry Sky Illusionary Realm, enveloping everyone inside.
As this magical artifact flew through the air, it seemed to undergo a wondrous fusion with the space of this plane, subtly giving one the magical feeling that it was not in this celestial realm.
It was precisely because the Starry Sky Illusionary Realm possessed such miraculous power that they were able to evade the giant eagle's senses, and the distant flock of birds held the group's strength in even higher regard, daring not to provoke any trouble on their own.
The feeling of being in the Starry Realm is like riding in a slow-moving aircraft, enjoying the surrounding scenery while drifting with the wind.
It must be said that the scenery in the Immortal Realm is indeed much better than that in the lower realm. All sorts of strange and wonderful creatures emerge endlessly, among which there are many with profound cultivation, and they can be seen everywhere. Some of them are in groups, and their strength is even more extraordinary. Although they are far from being able to compare with the tens of thousands of immortals in terms of scale, they are still enough to make one's heart pound with fear as one travels along the way.
The Immortal Realm is indeed no ordinary place...
They stealthily flew eastward, and before they knew it, they had flown over a large valley and arrived at a vast plain.
In the distance, several wisps of black smoke could be faintly seen rising high into the air.
"Listen... what's that sound?" Xiao Wenbing asked in surprise.
"There's a fight going on."
"That's right, he has some brute strength." Feng Baiyi coldly gave the most honest assessment.
Just as they approached the plain, the sounds of metal clashing came from outside, mixed with shouts and curses. These people were all experts; they could tell at a glance that someone was fighting, and that the fighters, just as Feng Baiyi had said, possessed considerable strength.
But he only has a bit of strength, probably roughly equivalent to the level of an outer disciple in one of the major sects in the lower realm.
"Let's go take a look..." Elder Yan and the others' eyes gleamed, and they immediately suggested that they go and see for themselves.
Without any objection, the proposal was immediately approved by everyone, and tens of thousands of eyes fell on Xiao Wenbing at the same time.
Xiao Wenbing glanced at them and thought, "They really are of one mind!" He couldn't help but feel extreme contempt.
Having seen so many experts along the way, these people's confidence was inevitably shaken to some extent. Now that they finally saw someone inferior to themselves, they immediately acted like cats smelling fish, eager to find confidence in those pathetic creatures.
However, Xiao Wenbing was also extremely curious. Even if they didn't ask, he would have tried every means to see them. These people were the first humans he had encountered in this immortal realm.
The Butterfly Fairy commanded the Starry Sky Illusion Realm to quickly arrive at the place where the sound came from.
There, five burly men were besieging a handsome young man. Judging from their faces, they were all gritting their teeth and furious, as if they had some deep-seated hatred for each other, and every move they made was a suicide attack.
On the contrary, the handsome young man's skill level was clearly superior to that of these men, and he had already grasped the essence of Qi, officially stepping into the threshold of cultivation.
However, this man valued his own life highly, so he seemed helpless in the face of the thuggish behavior of several burly men. He tried to escape several times, but failed each time. The two sides remained deadlocked, fighting noisily.
The crowd glanced at them, their expressions strange. They had all started as ordinary people and cultivated step by step. When they first entered the sect, they had indeed learned some of these sword, fist, and foot techniques, but since they achieved the Golden Core stage, they had long since abandoned them.
Seeing people still using such an outdated method of dueling at this moment can't help but evoke a sense of melancholy. Some people are even pointing fingers and commenting on the pros and cons of each move, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Xiao Wenbing's eyes darted around, and he said, "Everyone stay put, I'll go scout it out and see what's going on here."
The crowd responded enthusiastically. Although many of them had long wanted to go out and see what was happening, since Xiao Wenbing had spoken, these ancient monsters, who were at least a thousand years old, were naturally happy to stay on the sidelines and watch.