This is his greatest secret weapon at this moment, and one of the two magic weapons he relies on.
From the moment he descended, he began to mobilize the energy of his natal golden talisman, his hands already prepared to draw a talisman. As the disciple leaped down, intending to commit violence, he suddenly launched an attack, instantly drawing a blazing fire talisman with his bare hands and striking out.
This Fiery Talisman is a unique skill within the Secret Talisman Sect. Generally speaking, the energy contained in each talisman is fixed. Unless one possesses a profound cultivation level like the Old Daoist Xianyun, it is impossible to infuse a talisman with more spiritual power.
Even a Core Formation stage disciple can use this Fiery Talisman, gathering all their spiritual power to deliver a final, desperate blow.
This was originally a useless talisman technique created by a senior master in the Secret Talisman Sect when he was bored.
If one's cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage and forms a Nascent Soul, one can naturally achieve the same purpose with a single talisman.
Those below the Nascent Soul stage have limited spiritual power, so even if all of it is absorbed by the Fiery Talisman, it won't have much power.
However, when used by Xiao Wenbing, it would undoubtedly produce the best results.
If it were just the Core Formation stage spiritual power within Xiao Wenbing's body, it would absolutely not be able to harm a Golden Core stage disciple. However, with the addition of at least half the energy from his natal golden talisman, even a Golden Core stage cultivator would be unable to withstand it if caught off guard.
Although the Fiery Talisman is powerful, it cannot contain an unlimited amount of spiritual power. More than half of the energy of the natal Golden Talisman is already the limit of the Fiery Talisman.
The Taoist masters who created this talisman probably never imagined that a disciple in the Core Formation stage would possess spiritual power that even the Blazing Fire Talisman couldn't fully absorb.
However, even Xiao Wenbing was deeply surprised by the immense power of this talisman.
He suddenly realized that if he prepared in advance and had several of these Fiery Talismans, he would have a great advantage when facing enemies.
If I had hundreds of Fiery Talismans at my side today, those seven Golden Core disciples wouldn't even be able to capture me; they would be lucky to escape unscathed.
With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Wenbing arrived at the house. He reached out to push it open, but then hesitated.
Although the figure was familiar, his reason told him that it was highly unlikely that this person would be here.
However, now that he was already here, he was unwilling to leave without getting to the bottom of things.
With that thought in mind, he made up his mind and pushed open the door to go inside.
The place was bustling with activity, like a large tenement, with dozens of people busy with their tasks.
Upon seeing Xiao Wenbing, this unexpected guest, they all turned around, their eyes filled with undisguised surprise.
Although this place is bustling and is within the mountain gate of the Heavenly Dao Sect, few cultivators are willing to come here. They usually send their own servants to handle their affairs. Coming here would be beneath their dignity.
"May I ask, what are your instructions, Daoist Master?" An old woman approached, bowed respectfully to Xiao Wenbing, and asked.
Xiao Wenbing returned the bow slightly. Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a fine tradition of ancient China that has lasted for thousands of years. Although Xiao Wenbing entered the Taoist sect to cultivate, he had never forgotten this phrase that he had been reciting since childhood.
As for Lu Jun, Ming Mei, and the others, although they are certainly no younger than the old woman in front of them, who are they?
Cultivators cannot be judged by their appearance. They looked two years younger than Xiao Wenbing, so how could he possibly feel any respect for elders?
The old woman in front of him had no spiritual power, but she possessed considerable internal strength. In terms of pure skill, she was no less than Zhao Feng.
He immediately realized that this person must be an outer disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect, and this place was probably the residence of the outer disciples and servants of the Heavenly Dao Sect.
The old woman never expected that Xiao Wenbing would return her greeting; this was the first time she had ever encountered such a kind cultivator.
Most cultivators would ignore or disregard these outer disciples, but this one was clearly different.
"The old man is..."
"I am Wang Hongxia, the chief disciple of the outer sect of the Heavenly Dao Sect," the old woman replied respectfully.
"My name is Xiao Wenbing."
Wang Hongxia's expression changed, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Wenbing of the Secret Talisman Sect?"
"Exactly."
Taking a deep breath, Wang Hongxia bowed respectfully and said, "Wang Hongxia greets the elder."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback; it turned out that news of his status as an honorary elder had already reached this place.
"You're welcome."
"Elder, is there anything you need me to do?" Wang Hongxia asked cautiously.
Xiao Wenbing hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and scanned the faces of everyone in the courtyard before turning away in disappointment.
There were quite a few people here, but the person I was looking forward to wasn't among them.
He sighed deeply, wondering if it was just his imagination. How could he possibly see her here?
"It's nothing, I just took the wrong turn. Farewell." Xiao Wenbing bowed to Wang Hongxia, turned around, and was about to leave.
Wang Hongxia breathed a sigh of relief. This was the right thing to do. Although Xiao Wenbing was an elder of the sect, he had only been here for a few days. It was understandable that he had taken the wrong path.
However, such a confused person actually possesses unparalleled talent in cultivation, which makes this old woman, who has cultivated diligently for decades without any results, extremely envious.
Xiao Wenbing's hand was already on the doorknob, and he slowly exerted force with his fingers, about to push the door open and leave.
However, at that moment, he hesitated, and a beautiful image resurfaced in his mind. He didn't know that he would still be so attached to the person he thought he had forgotten.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned around and looked towards the back of the courtyard.
There, a very familiar and beautiful figure was carrying a bucket of water as she walked in from behind the courtyard.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she sensed something was amiss. She looked up in surprise and her eyes met Xiao Wenbing's.
"Bang..."
The bucket of water in her hand fell to the ground, but she didn't notice, her eyes fixed blankly ahead.
Quietly, it seemed to have passed through countless years and experienced countless cycles of life and death.
…………
I firmly believe that we will meet again...
Volume Two concludes here. Please proceed to Volume Three, "The Calamity of the Five Elements."
Volume Three: The Tribulation of the Five Elements, Chapter Sixty-Two: Tilling the Land
------------------------
Inside the mountain gate, it is spring-like all year round.
After the spring rains have stopped, one can see the cool clouds drifting away, the wheat seedlings still bearing the last drops of rain, and the grass and trees sprouting new green shoots. The fresh scent of the earth seems to linger in one's heart.
The two figures walked side by side on the mountain path, seemingly maintaining a distance while also appearing intimately close together.
"That's strange. How could there be rice paddies within the Heavenly Dao Sect?" Xiao Wenbing asked, seemingly surprised.
Zhang Yaqi pursed her lips, her pretty little lips curving into a beautiful arc.
Xiao Wenbing's heart skipped a beat. Although Zhang Yaqi was beautiful, she was definitely a real beauty. However, compared to the stunning beauty of Feng Baiyi, she was far inferior.
For some reason, he found himself particularly fond of seeing this pretty woman's smile; the sweet, shy smile seemed to reach straight into his heart.
"I heard from Master that in order to train the will of the newly joined disciples, the Tianyi Patriarch set a rule for them. New disciples must first do farm work in the fields for three years," Zhang Yaqi said softly.
"Three years of farm work? Is that even useful?" Xiao Wenbing had extreme doubts about this method.
"It should work."
How did you know?
Zhang Yaqi smiled slightly, led him to a house, and took out a tool from inside.
Xiao Wenbing's eyes widened; it was clearly a hoe. Holding it in Zhang Yaqi's delicate, fair hands, it looked utterly out of place.
"Yaqi, what... what are you doing?" Xiao Wenbing made no attempt to hide his surprise and exclaimed loudly.
"Hoe the ground," Zhang Yaqi smiled gently, as if a hundred flowers were in full bloom.
"Why? Ah..." Xiao Wenbing slapped his forehead and said, "I understand. You are a newly initiated disciple, so you came here to hoe the ground."
Zhang Yaqi nodded slightly, her bright eyes filled with a deep smile.
How much land do we need to hoe?
Zhang Yaqi led him to a wasteland and pointed to the ground, saying, "Today's yield is only about three acres."
Xiao Wenbing stomped his foot, testing the hardness of the ground, and his anger flared. He said, "Three mu? Yaqi, are they lying to you? Besides, this is wasteland. Can a weak woman really finish three mu of wasteland in a day?"
“I’ve been working on this for a year now, and I can finish it,” Zhang Yaqi said softly.
For no apparent reason, as if he had been accidentally pricked by a thin needle, Xiao Wenbing felt a sudden pain in his heart. He took a deep breath, suddenly reached out, grabbed the hoe in Zhang Yaqi's hand, and with a clever move, easily snatched it away.
"Ah..." Zhang Yaqi cried out, only to see Xiao Wenbing do a somersault and land on the wasteland.
Xiao Wenbing was in mid-air, his spiritual energy flowing freely, making the huge hoe feel as light as a feather. With a shovel to the left and a flick to the right, dirt flew up from the wasteland, and dust filled the sky.
Zhang Yaqi covered her mouth, the surprise in her eyes gradually turning into a faint smile, mixed with a trace of gratitude and a strange feeling.
At this moment, Xiao Wenbing was already a cultivator in the mid-stage of Core Formation. Although he still could not compare with Daoist Xianyun and others, and was inferior to Chen Shanji and Lu Jun, it was still an easy task for him to cultivate wasteland with a hoe infused with spiritual power.
A moment later, Xiao Wenbing put down his hoe and stood up, head held high, looking around proudly, his eyes shining, majestic and awe-inspiring.
So what if there are three acres of wasteland? It will all be gone in an instant.
"How was it? How did I do?" Xiao Wenbing asked, seeking credit.
"Good, Fellow Daoist Xiao's skill in hoeing is indeed unparalleled. If everyone in ancient times had such divine strength as Fellow Daoist Xiao, then all the oxen would be in dire straits."
"The oxen are suffering? What do you mean?" Xiao Wenbing asked, puzzled.
“If everyone had your brute strength, what would be the use of oxen? Their only purpose would be to feed people.”
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, then suddenly realized what he meant. He feigned anger and said, "Fine, Yaqi, you're calling me a bull, aren't you?"
Zhang Yaqi could no longer care about being reserved; she bent down and burst into laughter.
Xiao Wenbing strode forward and stood in front of her. Seeing her laughing heartily, he felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
After a long while, Zhang Yaqi stopped smiling. Seeing Xiao Wenbing staring intently at her, she blushed, as if she had applied a light layer of rouge, making her look even more charming and beautiful.
She took the hoe from Xiao Wenbing's hand and said softly, "Wenbing, don't cause trouble. I still need to cultivate."
“Cultivation?” Xiao Wenbing pointed to the loosened earth and said, “Didn’t I already finish it?”