The Lion King smiled bitterly and said, "Of course not. A thousand years ago, my cultivation was only at the Separation and Union stage. When I saw that famous Earth Food King, I didn't even have time to run away, let alone challenge him."
Not the Lion King? Xiao Wenbing glared at the Moonlit Wolf King. If it's not him, why are you calling it the Lion King? Authentic Cantonese lion's head meatballs are delicious, but they don't look very appealing.
The Moonlit Wolf King coughed and said, "This Food King isn't challenging our demon race, but rather..."
Xiao Wenbing frowned. Why had the Moonlit Wolf King become so fussy? It was unbelievable. Could it be that he really had some unspeakable secret? He looked around and saw that the monsters' expressions were not good. Obviously, everyone knew about this person, but no one said what earth-shattering things this old guy had done.
He quickly realized that among these people, he only recognized one Night Wolf King. As for the others, well… they weren't even acquaintances, let alone close friends. However, his relationship with this old wolf wasn't good enough either, so he was afraid the wolf wouldn't tell him.
His eyes darted around, then he looked at Feng Baiyi, who immediately understood and coldly uttered a few words: "Senior Wolf King, may I ask for your guidance?"
Old Wolf was taken aback. He could easily dismiss Xiao Wenbing's case, but what about Feng Baiyi? He quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and finally said with a worried expression, "Because that Food King challenged us a thousand years ago..."
Xiao Wenbing and the others listened intently, and after a long while, they heard a voice barely audible: "He has issued a challenge to a dragon."
"A dragon?" Xiao Wenbing exclaimed in surprise. If he hadn't seen that the old wolf king's face didn't seem to be lying, he definitely wouldn't have believed it.
However, he finally understood why so many demon kings and human experts had such expressions when they heard the name of the Food King. It turned out that the old guy's strength was truly extraordinary and extraordinary.
Dragons, as one of the three supreme races of the world, are the most powerful super creatures.
Ordinary cultivators, regardless of their race, would either avoid this powerful creature at all costs or submit to its commands without daring to resist.
Perhaps only the Phoenix Clan and the Divine Tree Venerable, who was transformed from the branches of the Divine Tree Ancestor, can rival it.
As for the Food King, in the end, he was just an ordinary spirit. Although he belonged to the Divine Tree Clan, he did not have the direct lineage power of the Divine Tree Ancestor.
It is truly a miracle that such a person was able to challenge one of the supreme beings in the cultivation world and survive in the end.
"It's truly an anomaly that this 'King of Food' survived," Xiao Wenbing sighed sincerely. His luck was truly extraordinary; escaping from the jaws of a dragon was no easy feat...
The expressions on the faces of the demon kings grew increasingly strange. The Moonlit Wolf King coughed lightly and said, "He won."
"What?" Xiao Wenbing exclaimed in shock, completely losing his composure. They won? Are you kidding me? How could the man-eating flower clan possibly defeat a dragon?
Having lived half his life, Xiao had seen and heard countless strange and unusual things. But he had never heard of a rabbit defeating a wolf, nor had he ever seen a mouse eat a cat.
After a slight pause, Xiao Wenbing asked, "Defeat a dragon? Really?"
Just as the demon kings were about to answer, they suddenly looked alarmed and stared intently at Xiao Wenbing's back, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the demon cubs had arrived? But he hadn't heard any news of the seal being loosened.
He turned around abruptly and immediately saw the Food King's tense, ugly old face.
"Senior Food King, what are you doing?" Xiao Wenbing frowned. This old guy had suddenly appeared here without a word, which was quite a shock.
"Those who speak ill of me, eat them." The Food King glared at the demon kings, his small eyes gleaming, and muttered, "It's been so long since I've eaten meat."
Led by the Lion King, the numerous demon kings were closely united. No one dared to underestimate this man-eating flower that could fight dragons one-on-one.
Xiao Wenbing shook his head and sighed inwardly. Truly, a person's name reflects the shadow of a tree. With so many demon kings gathered together, it was absolutely impossible for the Food King to win. Yet, from beginning to end, faced with the Food King's blatant provocation, no one dared to retaliate.
"Hey, senior Food King, I heard you once defeated a dragon, is that true?"
"Hmph, that's for sure," the Food King said arrogantly.
Xiao Wenbing looked him up and down suspiciously, his eyes filled with disbelief. After a long while, he suddenly realized and said, "I understand. Senior, you defeated a young dragon, didn't you? How old was that dragon? Was it just born?"
The Food King rolled his eyes, nearly fainting from rage, and was about to pounce on the other party to teach him a lesson he would never forget. Suddenly, he remembered the other party's identity. If he did that, how could the Divine Tree Ancestor possibly let him off?
Others may not know, but he knows very well how powerful his ancestor was, and because of his race, he couldn't even muster the thought of resisting his ancestor.
The Food King's gaze swept over the Qiankun Ring on Zhang Yaqi's wrist. Even the wood spirit inside could easily kill him.
This doesn't mean that the Wood Spirit's cultivation level is higher than his, but rather that because he is a member of the spirit race, he is naturally restrained by the Wood Spirit. Unless he undergoes a complete transformation and cultivates to the level of an immortal, he can forget about getting rid of it.
Sigh... They say when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Who would have thought that flowers, too, have to bow their heads when they're under someone's roof?
"I defeated a fully grown dragon, and one that was recognized as a rising star among the dragons," the Food King said through gritted teeth.
"Oh." Xiao Wenbing looked like he suddenly understood. "I knew it, a rising star..."
Hearing his drawn-out tone, the King of Food was furious. He finally glared at him fiercely, then reluctantly turned around, transformed into a whirlwind, and disappeared in an instant.
"Phew, they're finally gone." Seeing the Food King leave, Xiao Wenbing breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't stupid; from the expressions on the Lion King's and the others' faces, he could tell that the Food King was definitely not someone who lived up to his reputation.
However, this old fellow was obsessed with eating meat, clearly having been cooped up in the Divine Tree Palace for too long, and now that he was out, he wanted to indulge in some meat. Moreover, his reputation was obviously very bad. Bringing such a dangerous mission along would not help his purpose at all.
Therefore, he pretended not to know, angering the old man and sending him away. As for who the Food King would vent his anger on, he wasn't worried. He had already made an agreement with him before coming here: without Xiao Wenbing's permission, no cultivator could be harmed. The Food King should not go back on his oath made in the name of the Divine Tree Ancestor.
Volume 4: The Divine Artifacts Chapter 219: Dragon Scales and Phoenix Feathers
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"Fellow Daoist Xiao, you are indeed incredibly powerful." The Moonlit Wolf King was initially tense, but after the Food King disappeared from sight, he looked at Xiao Wenbing with obvious admiration in his eyes. There was truly no one who dared to speak to the Food King like that.
Just thinking about that guy who could defeat a dragon made these demon experts tremble with fear. If it were them, they would never dare to speak to the Food King like that.
"You're too kind, senior." Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly and said, "I've come here to discuss some important matters."
The Lion King raised his thick eyebrows and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, have you come for the matter of our two races fighting together?"
"Indeed, worthy of being the king of beasts, I admire you." Xiao Wenbing gave a thumbs up. This old lion was able to become the king of beasts, which clearly showed that it had real talent and knowledge. It understood the true purpose of his visit just by listening to one sentence.
"I wonder what insights Fellow Daoist Xiao has?" The old lion nodded slightly. To be honest, he was also extremely troubled by the constant open and covert struggles between the two clans.
Although he held the title of King of Beasts, in reality, every clan had its own elders and chieftains. While the lion clan was powerful, there were more than a dozen clans that could rival them. Therefore, although the old lion longed to live peacefully with humans, he had unfortunately always been powerless to do so.
But Xiao Wenbing is different. He is the creator of the Tranquilizing House. In fact, with the promotion of the Tranquilizing House, all the demons have unwittingly owed him a huge favor. If he were to step forward, perhaps he could persuade most people to temporarily put aside their grudges. At least, before defeating the demon army, the human and demon races must not turn against each other.
Most importantly, Xiao Wenbing had just returned from the three holy lands. Therefore, the old lion still suspected that the Dragon King and Phoenix Lord might have given him some instructions, which explained his confidence.
"Actually, I can't think of any brilliant ideas, but..." Xiao Wenbing wore an inscrutable smile as he glanced at the crowd before him. Suddenly, he said, "I have a request."
The Lion King hesitated for a moment, then said, "Please speak."
Xiao Wenbing smiled broadly, seemingly overjoyed. He said, "This junior hopes that before the end of this great battle with the demon race, all the demon kings will be able to restrain their people and uniformly obey this junior's orders."
"What?"
A thunderous roar erupted from the mouths of numerous demon kings. These demon kings were all arrogant and disdainful of others, yet they dared to listen to Xiao Wenbing's eloquent speech. The main reason was not because he was the creator of the Tranquil Heart House, but because of Feng Baiyi, the successor of the Thunder Palace. His mere presence here was worth more than a thousand words from Xiao Wenbing.
Moreover, Xiao Wenbing's capricious attitude towards the Food King, and the strange situation where the Food King, though furious, did not retaliate, made them even more uneasy. Therefore, for the time being, no one dared to offend him.
However, when they heard Xiao Wenbing's last words, they couldn't help but shout angrily. Even if a human cultivator at the Golden Core stage had a powerful backer, he was not enough to command respect.
The rule in the cultivation world is that the strong survive and the weak perish. Before one's own strength reaches the top level, it is simply impossible to subdue others.
Xiao Wenbing was not surprised by the behavior of these demon kings. He guessed that if it weren't for Feng Baiyi's presence, someone would probably have already come up to teach him a lesson.
As for the Lion King and the Moonlit Wolf King, their expressions were equally unpleasant, clearly indicating that Xiao Wenbing's actions had not been approved by them either.
Facing the surging crowd of demon kings, Xiao Wenbing showed no fear. Not to mention that he had the unique deity, Treasure God, behind him, even Feng Baiyi, who was beside him, was someone that the demon kings could not afford to offend.
So he smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Senior Lion King."
The Lion King suddenly waved his hand, interrupting him, and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, if this is your opinion, then please leave."
The demon race is a group with extremely strong self-esteem. If Xiao Wenbing came to discuss things amicably, then there is room for negotiation. But if he intends to subdue them, then it's better not to talk about it at all.
The Lion King was extremely angry, but he only coldly refused, unlike some demon kings who had already revealed their ferocity and were ready to commit evil.
However, the Lion King also understood that although these demon kings appeared to be vicious and ruthless, it was a different story if they actually attacked Xiao Wenbing.
Those who can cultivate to the peak of the Tribulation Transcending Realm are certainly not stupid. Although Xiao Wenbing's words were not very pleasant, no one was willing to hurt him in public for the sake of Dingxin House.
Even if they truly wanted to take his life, they would have found a secluded place and acted stealthily. As for now, it's just a bluff.
“Alright.” Xiao Wenbing suddenly said loudly, “During my trip to the three holy lands, I not only met the Divine Tree Ancestor, but also, through his introduction, paid my respects to the Dragon King and Phoenix Lord. I originally had some things I wanted to convey, but since you don’t want to know, then forget it.”
After saying this, Xiao Wenbing gave a slight bow and turned to leave.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, please wait!" The Lion King exclaimed in surprise. He quickly tried to persuade him to stay.
Just kidding. If Xiao Wenbing really came to convey the orders of the Dragon King and Phoenix Lord, and he drove them away, then the Lion King clan would face an extremely miserable fate.
At the very least, his people will have nowhere to go.
Therefore, although he was skeptical of Xiao Wenbing's words, he preferred to believe it rather than dismiss it.
Xiao Wenbing had no intention of leaving, but upon hearing this, he immediately stopped, smiled, and pointed to the demon kings who had been howling the loudest, saying, "Senior Lion King, I am merely here by my own destiny, but these friends clearly do not like it. Well, fine, I will make a note of it and report back to the two supreme beings that these friends did not allow me to speak."
He stepped forward and showed the Lion King his most amiable smile: "Rest assured, I will explain the truth to the two supreme rulers and will never wrong an innocent person."
The Lion King was taken aback, then smiled bitterly. Xiao Wenbing's words were clearly meant to stir up trouble in front of the Dragon King and Phoenix Lord. If he angered these two supreme beings, it would be virtually impossible for him to remain uninvolved.
Turning his head, he saw that many demon kings, including Leopard Head, were now silent and trembling. Once the matter involved the Dragon and Phoenix clans, even these unruly demon kings dared not speak easily.
After a long silence, Leopard Head suddenly shouted. However, his tone was much more amiable now, at least his expression was more respectful, and he no longer bared his teeth: "Wait, you said you were acting on orders from the two Supreme Lords, but do you have any proof?"
Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly and said, "Senior, do you not believe me?"
Leopard Head was taken aback; this was indeed a difficult question to answer.
However, Xiao Wenbing never intended for him to answer. With a thought, he flipped his wrist and took out two items from the Heavenly Void Ring.
"Dragon scales..."
"Phoenix Feathers..."
Several exclamations rang out simultaneously, even louder than the previous complaints, clearly showing that the demons held a sense of awe towards the choice of the two items.
The Lion King stared at it solemnly for a long time before finally sighing, "Indeed, it is a token of the two supreme beings. Venerable Xiao, please speak freely, and we will certainly obey."
"Brother Lion, this..." Leopard Head asked quietly from behind the old lion.
Although dragon scales and phoenix feathers are extremely rare, quite a few have ended up in the mortal realm over the years. While the demon kings didn't believe anyone would dare to use a mere trifle as a pretext to falsely convey the decrees of the two supreme beings, it was always better to be cautious.
The Lion King waved his hand and said, "Brothers, these are not ordinary dragon scales and phoenix feathers. Look carefully."
The demon kings were taken aback, and went again. After a moment, their expressions changed drastically, and no one dared to harbor the slightest doubt anymore.
"The Dragon King delivers the scales... the Phoenix King bestows the feathers..." The Lion King took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Venerable Xiao, if you have any orders, just give them. Our demon race will obey without question."
Venerable One? Xiao Wenbing smiled inwardly. The so-called Venerable One was the honorific title given by the human and demon races to the envoys of the three supreme races. He never thought that one day he would also have such a nice title.
Holding the two treasures he had obtained from the Divine Tree Ancestor, Xiao Wenbing smiled proudly and said, "What if someone outwardly complies but inwardly defies me?"
A fierce glint flashed in the Lion King's eyes. He opened his maw, which was even larger than that of the Moonlit Wolf King, and roared, "Let us all kill him..."