"Anything else?" Xiao Wenbing's heart jumped again. He secretly resented that these old guys all had one thing in common: they were long-winded and not straightforward enough.
"Since it has recognized Fellow Daoist Xiao as its master, then when it faces the Heavenly Tribulation, Fellow Daoist Xiao has the responsibility to shield it from half of the Heavenly Tribulation."
"Heavenly... Calamity..." Even the audacious Xiao Wenbing felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of this term.
"It's alright," Xiao Wenbing forced a smile. "Anyway, this guy cultivates slowly, so take your time, there's no rush."
"Ahem..." A fawning smile appeared on Zhang Daoren's face, and he suddenly said, "I'm afraid it will only be within the last hundred years."
"A hundred years? How is that possible? Does that mean it can't take human form for over a thousand years, but can survive a tribulation in a hundred?" Xiao Wenbing asked in astonishment. No wonder they are called monsters; they are indeed strange and peculiar.
"No, demons are different from humans. We only need to undergo one heavenly tribulation to ascend to the immortal realm, but demons need to undergo it twice."
"A second time?" A sudden thought flashed through Xiao Wenbing's mind, and he exclaimed, "Transformation into a Nascent Soul?"
"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Xiao understands immediately; you are truly a genius."
Xiao Wenbing wore a bitter expression. What kind of genius was this, making a Core Formation stage cultivator like himself bear the heavenly tribulation? This... this was simply forcing a duck onto a shelf.
Touching the Heavenly Void Ring in his hand, his divine sense scanned the life-saving golden talisman within, instantly bringing him a sense of peace. Then he grumbled, "Grandmaster, why didn't you bestow more?"
Volume Three: The Tribulation of the Five Elements, Chapter Eighty-Two: Demons Have Their Own Way
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In the Ancestral Hall of the Heavenly Dao Sect, over a thousand disciples sat cross-legged. All the elders of the sect had emerged from seclusion, along with the outer disciples, totaling over a thousand people. Their imposing presence befitted as the leading sect in Earth's cultivation world.
This centennial celebration was truly extraordinary. The elite of the Taoist community were all present, and countless people traveled from afar to witness the event. Even the reclusive Taoist priest Xianyun rarely left the mountain to personally grace the occasion with his presence.
Several months had passed, and the centennial celebration of the Heavenly Dao Sect was about to begin. Faced with this grand event, none of the disciples dared to be negligent in the slightest; they were all trembling with fear and taking great care.
The surrounding area, deliberately arranged by these cultivators, appeared even more beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
Xiao Wenbing and Zhang Yaqi had been inseparable these past few days and got along very well. However, once the ceremony began, they would have to separate temporarily.
Xiao Wenbing's gaze wandered aimlessly through the crowd. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and he reached out to tug at the sleeve of the old Taoist priest beside him: "Master, look."
Following his gaze, the old Taoist priest Xianyun couldn't see anything special about it and asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
"Master, isn't the cultivation world dominated by Taoists?" Xiao Wenbing asked cautiously.
"Of course."
“Then,” Xiao Wenbing said, pointing to several old monks in yellow robes to the left, “isn’t it strange that a group of bald men has suddenly appeared?”
"Hmm." The old Taoist priest Xianyun said with a wry smile, "The Tianyi Sect is the ancestor of Taoism. This centennial celebration is no small matter. Those are all Buddhist masters who have been invited to attend the ceremony."
"Oh..." Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized, but his voice suddenly rose a few decibels again: "Master, vampires? Paladins? Why are they here too?"
Several old Taoist priests around looked over with displeasure, but when they realized that the people speaking were Master Xianyun and his apprentice, they either immediately turned their heads away and pretended not to hear anything, or they smiled and greeted them. No one dared to glare at them angrily.
The old Taoist priest, whose skin was as thick as a city wall, ignored this and simply said to Xiao Wenbing, "Wenbing, this is the strength of our Taoist school. Once you come to our territory, you must abide by our rules. We can't interfere with their life-or-death struggles, but anyone who fights here will not have a good ending."
Hearing the old Taoist priest speak so boldly, Xiao Wenbing nodded repeatedly. The old man was not young, but he still had quite a temper.
Xiao Wenbing was about to say something when he suddenly heard the old Taoist priest Xianyun say softly, "Silence, it's starting."
A melodious chanting rose in pitch, and countless exotic flowers and plants floated through the air, filling the entire area with fragrance. Moments later, the Ancestral Hall shone brightly, and a soft white light slowly spread out from the hall.
Everyone who was touched by that light felt a warm and extremely comfortable sensation, like a gentle spring breeze, and couldn't resist it.
“Spiritual power?” Xiao Wenbing asked in surprise.
The old Taoist priest nodded slightly and said, "It is indeed a spiritual energy field."
Xiao Wenbing's expression changed slightly, and he asked softly, "Master, isn't this spiritual energy field a bit too strong, given its vast range and dense concentration?"
"There's nothing strange about it," said the old Taoist Xianyun calmly. "The ancestral hall of the Tianyi Sect is a spirit-gathering array that cycles every hundred years. Every time the ancestors are worshipped, the spiritual power of that hundred years is released in its entirety. You can imagine how strong its spiritual power is."
Xiao Wenbing nodded silently. No wonder this spiritual energy field had such terrifying effects; it only opened once every hundred years, so it was not surprising.
"Wenbing, this spiritual energy field is indeed rare. You might as well sit down and work hard to absorb it. It will greatly benefit your cultivation."
"Yes, Master." Xiao Wenbing replied, then suddenly had an idea. He pointed with his finger, and a caterpillar appeared in his hand.
This caterpillar is naturally the butterfly fairy that has already recognized its master. Because it is a creature that has recognized its master, it is able to live in Xiao Wenbing's mustard seed space.
Xiao Wenbing thought the butterfly was too big and wanted to make it smaller, but Zhang Daoren said that this thing had not yet transformed into an infant, so it could only have two forms: either a caterpillar the thickness of a finger or a beautiful butterfly the size of a person.
After much deliberation, and knowing that he couldn't have his cake and eat it too, Xiao Wenbing gave up aesthetics and chose convenience, turning it into a caterpillar and placing it inside the Heavenly Void Ring for his solitary cultivation.
Only now, with the outside spiritual energy field incredibly deep, has it been released to absorb spiritual energy.
When the old Taoist priest turned his head unintentionally, he saw the caterpillar in Xiao Wenbing's hand, and his eyes almost popped out.
With the old Taoist's keen eye, he could tell at a glance that this thing belonged to the category of demons, and was a rare and precious species that was about to take shape as an infant.
This disciple is truly capable of constantly bringing new surprises. When did he take in a demon whose cultivation level far exceeds that of the Core Formation stage? It's an extraordinary case.
The caterpillar lay comfortably in Xiao Wenbing's palm, stretching its long, soft body as far as it could to reach more spiritual energy.
The rich spiritual energy transformed into tiny, almost invisible rays of light, continuously flowing into its body.
"Good heavens, Wenbing, where did you get this? It's a top-quality specimen that's about to transform into a Nascent Soul!" the old Taoist priest said enviously.
"It was a gift from someone."
"A gift?" The old Taoist priest was completely speechless. Why was no one ever so generous to him?
"No, something's not right." The old Taoist priest suddenly exclaimed in a low voice, his face instantly becoming extremely solemn: "Wenbing, have you recognized a master?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. What did you mean I've recognized a master? What do you take me for...?
He glared angrily at the old Taoist priest and said, "Master, this fellow has recognized me as his master."
“I understand,” the old Taoist priest said solemnly. “Do you know that demons have their own way, and humans have their own way?”
"I know, I know," Xiao Wenbing said impatiently, thinking to himself, "I also know that demons are born from demon mothers and humans are born from human mothers."
The old Taoist priest nodded slightly and said, "For a demon to transform into a nascent soul is an act against the heavens. When it transforms into a nascent soul, it will inevitably suffer a heavenly tribulation. Since it has recognized you as its master, you must bear half of the heavenly tribulation for it. But with your current cultivation level, how can you possibly withstand it?"
Volume 3, Chapter 83: Obtaining the Treasure
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Xiao Wenbing's eyes lit up, thinking to himself that this was a good opportunity to legitimately ask for benefits.
To be honest, I never asked the old Taoist priest for any magical treasures before, because he had always just told me to build my foundation, build my foundation, and build my foundation again.
It was as if his only goal in cultivating Tao was to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. His requests to learn higher-level spells were never granted, let alone any magical treasures.
But now that there's a perfectly legitimate reason like the Butterfly Fairy Heavenly Tribulation, wouldn't it be foolish not to ask for the magic weapon?
He frowned, looking worried and distressed. After a long while, he said urgently, "Master, what should we do?"
"Before the heavenly tribulation arrives, you should quickly terminate the master-servant contract, and you will be fine," said the old Taoist priest Xianyun earnestly.
Xiao Wenbing was stunned. How could this old Taoist priest come up with such a terrible idea? To terminate the contract? He was reluctant to do so.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Wenbing pointed at the Butterfly Fairy and asked, "Then what about it?"
"This demon has already reached the top level of the Golden Core stage. Whether it is used for alchemy or for forging weapons, it is a rare treasure," said the old Taoist Xianyun solemnly.
Xiao Wenbing immediately felt a sense of panic and fear. He knew, of course, that this was the Butterfly Fairy, who was now sentient, sensing their conversation.
With a slight smile, Xiao Wenbing refused without hesitation, saying, "Master, this won't do. Since it has recognized me as its master, I must protect its life. Terminating the contract is absolutely out of the question."
The old Taoist priest sighed with regret. Xiao Wenbing watched this and wondered if the old Taoist priest was deliberately trying to use the Butterfly Fairy for alchemy or something.
"If you are unwilling, how will you withstand the heavenly tribulation?" The old Taoist sighed helplessly. "Wenbing, after the ceremony, I will give you a few protective magic treasures. I hope they will be of some use. If they really don't work, then you can use the life-saving golden talisman given by the White Crane Ancestor."
Xiao Wenbing was secretly delighted; this was the right thing to do. His long pleading had finally paid off…
The ancestral worship ceremony lasted for three days and three nights. When it ended at the last moment, the Tianyi Sect Master shouted, and the Ancestral Hall suddenly closed, and the huge spiritual energy field disappeared as well.
The caterpillar, having lost its source of spiritual energy, became listless. It shifted its body a few times and then willingly entered the Heavenly Void Ring. It seemed it had heeded the old Daoist Xianyun's words and, fearing the old fellow would use it as a scapegoat, had taken precautions to avoid him.
The sect leader of Tianyi Sect led his disciples to bow deeply in gratitude to the Ancestral Hall. After a long while, a white light suddenly rose from the Ancestral Hall.
Xiao Wenbing's eyes lit up. This white light was extremely familiar; both the life-saving golden talisman and the Heavenly Void Ring emitted the same radiance. Clearly, this was a treasure from the Immortal Realm, but he wondered which ancestor had bestowed it upon him.
"Thank you for your grace, Master." The loud voices of more than a thousand people echoed within the mountain gate, their momentum far surpassing that of the few dogs and cats in the Secret Talisman Sect.
The sect leader of Tianyi Sect and the three oldest and most powerful elders carefully straightened their clothes, washed their hands with clean water, and then entered the Ancestral Hall.
In a short while, the four of them came out, but the Tianyi Sect Master held up a silver plate with a jade-white bracelet on it.
"Huh..." Xiao Wenbing asked in surprise, "Master, why is there only one item?"
The old Taoist priest glared at him and said, "Having one is already quite good. Do you think it's so easy to get one?"
"Didn't you say that almost every centennial celebration of the Heavenly Dao Sect involves one or two patriarchs bestowing treasures upon the sect?"
"Yes, I did say that, but I meant almost every time, almost, you understand? It doesn't happen every time."
Xiao Wenbing's expression immediately turned extremely strange. How come this old Taoist priest has also learned to play word games?
"So, how often is it?"
"Well, if you're lucky, you'll be bestowed with a treasure within three grand ceremonies. If you're unlucky..." Old Daoist Xianyun counted on his fingers, did some careful calculation, and said, "You'll probably be bestowed with one in about ten grand ceremonies."
Ten or so grand ceremonies? Taoist grand ceremonies are held once every hundred years; ten or so would mean it would take over a thousand years. So this is what they call "almost every time"...
Xiao Wenbing rolled his eyes. If he hadn't been so self-aware that he was no match for the old Taoist priest, no... because he respected the elderly and cared for the young, and inherited and carried forward the glorious tradition of China's five thousand years of history, he wouldn't have bothered with the old Taoist priest.
“Master, I thought our sect’s founders who ascended to the Immortal Realm were rather stingy, but now I realize that the founders of the Heavenly Dao Sect were even more miserly.”
"You..." The old Taoist priest Xianyun choked on his words, staring at Xiao Wenbing, his nose flaring like a blower, unable to speak for a moment.