He originally wanted to boast and claim to be number one, but after glancing at Feng Baiyi and Zhang Yaqi beside him, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
However, his expression did not escape the notice of the many old fellows. Suddenly, Fairy Bixia smiled, waved her hand at Daoist Xianyun, and said, "Brother Dao's disciple is truly knowledgeable."
The old Taoist priest chuckled and said, "Of course," but inwardly he sneered, thinking, "He doesn't even know who taught him." However, a strange thought suddenly flashed through his mind: when had he ever taught him this knowledge?
"Yes, your disciple is truly... truly unique, hmm, comparable to your fellow Daoist." The Tianyi Sect Master sighed, speaking in a tone that was neither too heavy nor too light.
"Hmm?" The old Taoist priest looked at his two old companions and was genuinely puzzled. Was this a compliment?
A bright red flame suddenly ignited in Xiao Wenbing's hand.
"The spirit of the earth veins..." Sect Master Tianyi exclaimed in surprise. This elder was quite strange, as he actually carried this treasure with him.
"The earth vein fire of Tianding Star?" Fairy Bixia's expression also changed. With her eyesight, she could naturally see that this flame was not simple. It was not just ordinary earth vein fire, but also an extremely rare source of fire.
The earth vein fire of Tianding Star is famous throughout the cultivation world. The temperature of the earth fire is incredibly high, and the source of the fire at the earth vein is the king of fires. Although it cannot be compared with the fire spirit among the five elements, it is still a rare treasure.
"Hehe..." Xiao Wenbing smiled smugly and said, "That's right. I went to Tianding Star and went through a lot of trouble to finally obtain a little bit of fire source from the depths of the earth veins."
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 139: Inducement
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Both Fairy Bixia and Sect Master Tianyi were shocked. Being able to penetrate deep into the source of the earth's veins was already beyond the capabilities of ordinary cultivators; to try and extract a source of fire from there was even more difficult. This Xiao Wenbing, who appeared to be only at the early Golden Core stage, had actually accomplished this. It truly made them look at him in a new light.
The two elderly people exchanged a glance, both thinking to themselves, "If it were me, could I do the same thing?"
However, the answer they found honestly was somewhat embarrassing, because they had absolutely no confidence in the matter.
The old Taoist priest raised his thick eyebrows. He naturally knew that Xiao Wenbing possessed the cauldron, and he was even more aware of the publication of this earth vein flame. However, as he looked up at the sky, he wondered what his disciple had just said. He couldn't quite place it...
"Yaqi, give the Qiankun Ring to... no, let's unite our divine senses and see the Earth Spirit." Xiao Wenbing was about to give him the Qiankun Ring, but then he suddenly remembered the impenetrable protective net inside the ring, and immediately abandoned the idea of being a lone hero, dragging Zhang Yaqi along instead.
Zhang Yaqi responded. She never considered refusing Xiao Wenbing's requests. She never would before, and she never would now…
Although their divine senses were not coordinated beforehand, they naturally reached a level of perfect harmony.
This feeling is very mysterious, like a couple who have been together for decades, who can sense each other's thoughts and deep affection with just a slight touch.
Led by Zhang Yaqi, their divine senses entered the Qiankun Circle together, as if they had fallen into a thick sea of fog. They didn't know how much time had passed—it felt like an instant, yet also like decades—before they finally broke through the impenetrable fog.
Little by little, Xiao Wenbing's divine sense finally "saw" the Earth Spirit within the Qiankun Circle.
It was still that small token, but it looked...strangely, much larger. What was going on? Since it was to reside within the Qiankun Circle, the Heji (a magical artifact) naturally needed to be smaller than the Qiankun Circle itself; otherwise, wouldn't it burst this military control structure...?
"Xiao Wenbing's consciousness flashed through the Qiankun Pass in an instant, and he suddenly realized something strange: the space inside was much larger than he had imagined."
A sudden realization dawned on him: this thing was actually a mustard seed space! Judging by its size, even his own Heavenly Void Ring couldn't compare. "What a treasure!" Xiao Wenbing sighed sincerely. "No wonder it's a celestial treasure strongly recommended by the Mirror God."
He muttered to himself, wondering what grade this treasure was. If it were judged by the limits of a mustard seed, even calling it a celestial artifact would be an understatement.
Could it be that this thing, like the Mirror God, actually comes from the legendary realm of gods?
Zhang Yaqi's thoughts gently "touched" him, meaning to urge him to act quickly.
However, at this moment, his divine sense was not in a hurry to contact the earth spirit, but continued to drift in that seemingly endless space.
If it were anyone else wandering around here recklessly, the Qiankun Circle would have automatically kicked them out long ago. But now, accompanied by Zhang Yaqi, Xiao Wenbing has traveled safely without any obstacles.
After seemingly having walked around for most of the way, Xiao Wenbing's eyes suddenly lit up. In front of him was a piece of wood. Not bad. Round and long, a perfectly round long piece of wood.
Xiao Wenbing's heart was pounding. He used his divine sense to ask Zhang Yaqi, "What is this thing?"
"I don't know. It was already there when I obtained the Qiankun Ring," Zhang Yaqi answered truthfully.
"Don't you know?" Xiao Wenbing's divine sense said no more, but after observing for a while, he quickly left with Zhang Yaqi.
After going around in a complete circle, we finally returned to where we started. We didn't notice anything else unusual.
"Alright, Yaqi, your divine sense should be able to communicate with the Qiankun Circle now. Make the scene a little more transparent so that the Earth Spirit can see the Earth Vein Fire outside." After thinking about his planned actions, Xiao Wenbing gave the instructions.
"good."
Zhang Yaqi responded softly, and the swirling mist in the sky instantly parted to the sides, as if an unseen giant bird was pushing the thick clouds and fog.
After a short while, a wide passageway was cleared, allowing a clear view of the outside scenery.
The three elders, including the Sect Master of Tianyi Sect, stood far to the side. They were apprehensive about the impending appearance of the Earth Spirit and avoided it if possible, even reluctant to get close.
Directly in front of the Qiankun Circle, a red flame was emitting a dazzling light.
Although it is unclear how exactly to communicate with the spirit of the earth, this most direct method of enticement is obviously the most effective.
Suddenly, the small square plaque began to move, as if the glutton had spotted the most delicious food. Without a word, the spirit of the earth leaped out from the clouds, just as Xiao Wenbing was racking his brains trying to figure out how to communicate with it.
"This...this works too!" Xiao Wenbing's eloquent words suddenly became useless. His expression changed, and he immediately sent a message to Zhang Yaqi.
As soon as their thoughts left the Qiankun Circle and returned to their bodies, they saw a huge, thick stone slab holding that little bit of earth vein fire, pulsating back and forth.
"What is it doing?" Zhang Yaqi asked softly.
"I'm happy." Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly and said, "Don't treat the spirits of the five elements as ordinary spiritual objects."
The thick stone slab bounced for a while, then suddenly split open from the middle, as if a huge mouth had appeared out of thin air, swallowing the bit of earth vein fire.
"This guy is really a savage thing." Xiao Wenbing smiled wryly. He didn't expect this guy to have such a trick up his sleeve. It probably wouldn't be difficult to fit a person into that thick stone slab. He guessed that it wouldn't be very fun inside.
The spirits of the five elements certainly cannot be treated as ordinary spiritual beings...
The thick stone slab swallowed the earth's vein fire, then jumped again, turned around, and leaped towards Zhang Yaqi.
Suddenly, it stopped halfway. A man, a young man with a serious face and black hair, stood with a sword in his hand, blocking its path.
Xiao Wenbing held a precious sword, which was specially forged for him by Lu Jun in the past. Although it did not contain any rare materials, it had been reinforced with molten steel twice, making it far more durable than ordinary flying swords.
Xiao Wenbing was short of money at the time, so he took it out to bolster his courage, which was a good intention.
"Damn it..." Xiao Wenbing roared, like a thunderous roar.
The Earth Spirit stopped, as if stunned by his roar, unable to react any longer.
"This mountain is mine, this tree is mine, if you want to pass through here, leave a road-buying stone..."
As everyone stared in disbelief and dumbfounded, the thick stone slab squatted down and remained motionless.
Xiao Wenbing smiled with satisfaction, preparing to unleash his silver tongue, reasoning with the spirit of the earth, appealing to its emotions, and tempting it with benefits. If the spirit of the earth remained unmoved, then he would fight it with force and bring it to justice.
However, before he could even utter a word, the thick stone slab suddenly flew over with a "whoosh." Xiao Wenbing sneered inwardly, "Trying to play dirty tricks on me? Hmph..."
His eyes widened, and he suddenly raised his greatsword, fiercely slashing down, determined to teach this disobedient earth spirit a profound and unforgettable lesson with all his might.
"Bang..."
A deafening clang of metal clashing against metal rang out, and Xiao Wenbing's greatsword, unable to withstand the heavy blow, snapped in two at the waist.
Xiao Wenbing was quick-witted and immediately bent down. He felt a strong wind above his head, and the thick stone slab flew over his head.
Xiao Wenbing touched his scalp with lingering fear. Fortunately, he reacted quickly; if he had been even a fraction of a second slower, he would probably be decapitated by now.
Although he was a master at the Golden Core realm, and his physical attributes had reached a terrifying level, no matter how confident he was, he dared not say that his physical body could compare to that sharp greatsword, let alone that incredibly solid thick stone slab.
"Hiss..." A strange sound came from behind him.
Xiao Wenbing looked back and was overjoyed.
Before anyone knew it, Feng Baiyi had already taken out the Lightning-Attracting Sword. Lightning bolts could be faintly seen shooting out from the sword, like a large net woven from lightning, firmly surrounding the thick stone slab.
The thick stone slab darted wildly through the electric grid, but with each contact, a dark mark appeared on the slab. It moved swiftly, but no matter how much it struggled, it could not escape the coverage of the electric grid.
"Good." The old Taoist priest Xianyun praised, "Fairy Bixia, your disciple is indeed extraordinary, but..." He lowered his voice and said, "Judging from her style, she is clearly from the Heavenly Thunder Palace, how come you..."
Fairy Bixia smiled slightly and said, "It's just fate."
The Sect Master of Tianyi Sect and the Taoist Priest Xianyun exchanged a glance, knowing that she was unwilling to tell them, so they remained silent and stopped talking.
"Good!" Xiao Wenbing shouted loudly. He took a step forward and came to Feng Baiyi's side, his eyes filled with surprise and joy. However, after glancing at Feng Baiyi, who seemed oblivious, the enthusiasm in his eyes quickly faded, and he sighed sadly, focusing his attention on the thick stone slab in the electric fence.
He frowned and pondered deeply. Unbeknownst to anyone, he communicated with the Mirror God for a moment longer. Finally, he took a step forward, flipped his wrist, and a spark of earth vein fire reignited on his fingertips.
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 140: Retrieving the Stone (Part 1)
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"The spirit of the earth, do you want it?" Xiao Wenbing said, reaching his hand into the electric grid.
Although he hadn't communicated with Feng Baiyi at all, the moment his fingers touched the electric grid, the current immediately deflected away, creating a small, round hole just big enough for his arm to pass through. Feng Baiyi's control over lightning had reached such an astonishing level.
Only after Xiao Wenbing's fingers successfully passed through the electric fence did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Feng Baiyi... I still don't want him to get hurt.
The thick stone slab within the electric grid suddenly stopped, as if it had received a message from Xiao Wenbing, and its body bent downwards.
The onlookers were amazed; they couldn't believe that a mere large stone slab could express such a vivid expression. It was truly incredible.
“I have so many, so many, do you want some?” Xiao Wenbing’s voice was full of extreme temptation.
The curvature suddenly increased, and Xiao Wenbing broke out in a cold sweat. No wonder people have always said that even clay idols have a temper; it turns out that this mud really understands human nature...
Yes, when discussing things with it, you still need to be on your toes.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Wenbing sorted out his thoughts and said again in a tempting tone, "I'll only say one thing: I can give you the earth vein fire, and even more. But I have one condition: I need ten pounds of stones on your body. However, don't worry, as long as you give me the stones, I guarantee that you'll have your fill of earth vein fire."
The thick stone slab swayed as if considering Xiao Wenbing's suggestion.
After a long while, under everyone's expectant gaze, the Earth Spirit finally bowed deeply.
Its action immediately drew cheers of relief and celebration.
"Alright, White Robe, please remove the electric net." Xiao Wenbing breathed a sigh of relief. These kinds of spiritual beings, once they agree to something, will never go back on their word, otherwise they will surely suffer divine retribution.
Without saying a word, Feng Baiyi withdrew the lightning-summoning sword, and the layers of electric nets in the arena disappeared without a trace.