As time passed, the golden core in his hand gradually took shape. Looking at the golden inner core that shimmered with golden light, a smug smile appeared on Xiao Wenbing's lips.
However, his smile quickly froze on his face.
Something's not right, something's definitely not right. From the very beginning of its manufacture, he felt that something was definitely wrong, but he just couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Only now does he understand where the problem lies.
Volume Four: The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 194: The Realm of Emptiness
------------------------
As Xiao Wenbing inserted the golden core into the Heavenly Void Ring, his consciousness followed, and he exclaimed happily, "Mirror God, I succeeded!"
"Yeah, I knew you'd succeed," Mirror God said lazily.
Xiao Wenbing smiled slightly, as if to thank it for its trust, and then said, "But, something's not right..."
"Something's not right?" The Mirror God observed carefully, waved his hand, and a ray of white light circled the Golden Core twice before returning. Then he said with certainty, "Who are you trying to fool? Don't think that just because you've taken off your clothes and peeled off your skin, I won't recognize you. This is your Iron Golden Core, no doubt about it."
Xiao Wenbing's face darkened. This Mirror God was saying something infuriating again. He wondered where he had learned it from. He snorted inwardly before saying, "Of course I know this is my golden core. But have you ever thought about how much effort and time I spent creating this golden core?"
"Hmm, although it took a bit longer, your understanding and application of divine power at this point is already quite good." The Mirror God thought for a moment and finally spoke a fair word.
"Yes, that's what I think too, because I've done my best. At least, I dare say that before refining the Mind-Stabilizing Chamber, there was absolutely no way to create a Golden Core out of thin air."
"Well, now that you know, what else is there to be dissatisfied about?" Mirror God kindly advised, "Wenbing, you must remember that only by being down-to-earth can you achieve the best results. Any opportunistic behavior is unacceptable..."
"Stop...stop...stop..." Xiao Wenbing quickly interrupted its sermon and expressed his feelings: "It is precisely because I know the truth that I find it unbelievable."
Seeing his serious expression, without a trace of joking, even the Mirror God was a little stunned. It recalled the process of Xiao Wenbing's creation and finally gave its fair evaluation: "You have done very well. The mobilization of divine power was only slightly wasteful, and the replenishment of spiritual power was very timely. Well, if there is any shortcoming, it is that it is still a bit rough. You have created too few things. You need to expand the scope in the future."
"scope?"
"Yes, you need to try making different things, not just in different sizes, but also in different types. You can go from single items to finished products that combine various high-grade materials. Besides, there are many, many more... You must remember. Being a creator god is not so easy," the Mirror God said earnestly.
"Hmm." Xiao Wenbing humbly accepted the instruction, and then asked, "However, I still don't understand."
"What exactly is going on?" Mirror God was getting impatient.
“Actually, I created this Golden Pill once before.” Xiao Wenbing finally seized the opportunity to get to the point.
"What?" Mirror God asked in great surprise, "You created it? How come I didn't know?"
"Hehe... Back then, we weren't very familiar with each other." Xiao Wenbing smiled awkwardly and said, "Back then, I was still in the mid-stage of Core Formation. My ability to use divine power and spiritual energy was incomparable to what it is now. It was worlds apart. But that time, I not only successfully created it, but I also created a top-grade Golden Core."
Seeing the Mirror God's suspicious expression, Xiao Wenbing used his mind to transmit the process of scanning and creating the Butterfly Immortal Golden Pill to him.
At that time, Xiao Wenbing had just obtained the Mirror God, and they were far from being so familiar with each other. The Mirror God had just awakened from its slumber and had not yet adapted to everything in front of it, nor was it paying attention to Xiao Wenbing's every move.
Therefore, it had no idea how Xiao Wenbing had leaped two levels in a single day, climbing from the mid-stage of Core Formation to the Golden Core realm. Only now did it understand that all of this, including using its own body to withstand the heavenly tribulation, was due to an accident.
"Sigh..." Mirror God sighed deeply.
"What's wrong?"
"You acted so recklessly, yet you're still thriving now. It's truly unbelievable," the Mirror God exclaimed, expressing its greatest感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deepest emotion) ever.
Xiao Wenbing snorted angrily, naturally ignoring these words. He had developed a strong immunity to the Mirror God's sarcasm: "Speak, what exactly happened? With your cultivation, you should be able to give me an answer."
"Well, it's actually very simple. The biggest reason is that you did it unintentionally," the Mirror God gave him an affirmative answer.
"Unintentionally?"
“Exactly. In that situation, you didn’t even consider creating the Butterfly Immortal Golden Pill. However, your subconscious had already started creating it for you automatically. In other words, at that moment, you were in a state of spiritual emptiness, and in such a state, performing at an extraordinary level is quite normal.” The Mirror God paused for a moment and added, “If you had done it intentionally, I can assure you that you would not have succeeded.”
“Unintentional… ethereal…” Xiao Wenbing murmured these two sentences, and some new ideas gradually sprouted in his mind.
I once heard that there was a very famous painter on Earth. Once, he got drunk at a friend's banquet and started painting on the spot. Unintentionally, he created the masterpiece of his life. After the painter sobered up, he tried to recreate the same painting, but no matter what he did, he could not recreate the same mood.
In addition, there are many other examples that prove that things people do unintentionally are often much better than things they do with great effort.
There's a saying that goes, "You may plant flowers with care, but they may not bloom; you may plant willows without intention, and they may thrive." This... is perhaps the best explanation for Xiao Wenbing's ability to create the Butterfly Immortal Golden Pill.
According to the Mirror God, if a person is in an unintentional, ethereal state, then performing at an exceptional level is almost a certainty.
What would it be like if one could reach this profound state every time they practiced their skills? Xiao Wenbing was deeply moved whenever he recalled that feeling; it was a super feeling that seemed to grant him omnipotence, one that he still finds unforgettable.
But how can one enter such a state of mind? This is a very difficult problem for anyone.
Recalling that strange feeling, Xiao Wenbing realized he hadn't been prepared at all. The process of creating the Butterfly Immortal Inner Core happened as naturally as water flowing into a channel. By the time he realized it, it was already complete. In other words, he had been completely unaware of the entire process.
He entered this state unintentionally, both unintentionally and by chance. However, when he tried to deliberately enter this ethereal state, he found it extremely difficult and had no clue where to begin.
"Mirror God, do you have any good ideas?" Xiao Wenbing looked at Mirror God expectantly, wondering if the old man had any solutions.
"The gods do not need an ethereal realm." The Mirror God shook his head, but gave him an unexpected answer.
"Why?"
"Because they possess divinity."
"A godhood?" Xiao Wenbing immediately thought of what happened in Wanbaotang when he was controlled by a godhood with independent consciousness.
With the prompting of the two women and the narration of the Mirror God, he finally regained some recollection of that memory. In that state of being dominated by divinity, his consciousness was similarly hazy and confused, somewhat resembling the ethereal realm.
Moreover, the power of the divine spark is incomparable to that of ordinary people. His body firmly remembers that under the control of the divine spark, he can see through all false pretenses and directly find a bright path leading to the final destination. At the same time, he can rationally mobilize every bit of power in his body without any waste.
It can be said that only under the control of divinity can he reach his true best state.
Of course, the price he paid was terrible: he lost his own consciousness and became a puppet controlled by a god.
Godhood is like a flawless computer, treating his body as a machine, controlling every minute and every inch perfectly.
However, a machine is still a machine. No matter how powerful it is, it has lost its humanity. So, in that situation, it even took the initiative to attack Zhang Yaqi.
The fact that the god is ruthless and indifferent to even his own family is perhaps the biggest reason why he possesses such a characteristic. All obstacles that stand in his way will be swept away without mercy.
Ruthlessness is a characteristic of cultivators towards the mortal world, and it is also a necessary condition for possessing divinity.
Sigh... Does becoming a god mean I'll end up looking like that?
"Nonsense! If you don't understand, don't think nonsense. A true god is very humane," the Mirror God interrupted his thoughts and shouted.
"Is that so?" Xiao Wenbing wasn't surprised that the Mirror God could see into his thoughts; he was just curious why the Mirror God would refute him so vehemently.
"Of course, if it's as you think, then what about the precious god?"
"Yes." Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized that if possessing a godhood made one ruthless, then it would be impossible for them to escape from the clutches of the precious god.
"Divinity is one of the signs of becoming a god, but a true god is one who governs divinity, not one who is governed by divinity like you."
"Dominating the Godhead?"
"Yes, true gods use their divinity as a skill and ability, or perhaps, instinct. They have integrated their divinity into their instincts. Of course, what truly dominates their consciousness is their original way of thinking, and that is what makes them true gods."
"Oh, I understand."
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 195: Performing Surgery
------------------------
In fact, the formation of a divine spark is the most crucial step into the realm of gods. During this period, it is extremely dangerous. Once a person is controlled by a god with a divine spark, they are finished. "You... are really lucky!" Mirror God looked at Xiao Wenbing and said with endless admiration. This guy's luck is really too good.
"Huh?" Xiao Wenbing frowned, thought for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "That's too exaggerated. Actually, the power of a divine spark isn't that great, otherwise how could it be so easily defeated?"
Upon hearing this, the Mirror God was immediately ashamed. It said helplessly, "That's because your cultivation is too shallow. Once your cultivation is sufficient, and you possess a divine spark, forming a divine spark, if you were to have your consciousness devoured by that spark, you would no longer be a true god, but an arrogant and conceited dark god."
"Dark God... what is that? Is it here?" Xiao Wenbing looked up and around. For some reason, he felt a chill in his heart. Judging from the tone of the Mirror God, this Dark God seemed to be something extraordinary.
"Don't worry, there's no way such a guy could exist in this realm. Even in the Immortal Realm... it's unlikely there would be one," the Mirror God said uncertainly.
Xiao Wenbing remained silent, realizing how truly lucky he was...
However, it was rare to hear the Mirror God speak so ambiguously, so Xiao Wenbing asked in surprise, "You're not sure either?"
"Well, I've never been to the Immortal Realm, so of course I don't know much about it." The Mirror God chuckled, finally revealing the truth.
"Then where did you learn all this knowledge?" Xiao Wenbing was very surprised. How could someone who had never been to the Immortal Realm describe it so vividly?
"Yes, I understood it immediately after I gained consciousness. As for where it came from, it should be the magical ability given to me by my previous master."
"Divinity is a good thing, but it's too dangerous. However, Mirror God, you actually used me as a test subject last time. If Bai Yi hadn't arrived at the right time, I would have really been harmed by you," Xiao Wenbing complained.
"Hehe..." Mirror God chuckled twice and said, "Don't you always say that every cloud has a silver lining? You've survived a calamity, which will be of great benefit to you."
"What benefits?" Xiao Wenbing looked at it with suspicion. Could there be any benefits to being used as a guinea pig in experiments?
"Your divine essence was formed once and possessed its own consciousness, but it was shattered by the power of chaos. In other words, when you form a divine essence again in the future, there will be no danger of being replaced."
"real?"
"Of course, you must have seen people in a vegetative state, right? What do you think are the chances of them waking up?"
"Definitely."
"However, a person in a vegetative state whose soul has been shattered will not have any memories or personality even if they wake up. They will be like a bunch of idiots who can be easily controlled. The same goes for a godhood. Once it is shattered, it no longer poses any threat."
Xiao Wenbing nodded slightly, and after a while, he suddenly remembered a frightening question. He quickly asked, "Mirror God, I suddenly thought of a very serious question. In the future... will I never be able to form a godhood again?"
"You're wrong. Not only can you form a godhood, but you can also gain the power of a godhood ahead of time by gathering the fragments of godhood scattered throughout your body."
"To have it in advance..."
"Yes, we can have it in advance, and there will never be any danger of being devoured by the divine power again."
A relieved smile finally appeared on Xiao Wenbing's face. He had finally heard good news, and it was incredibly good news.
Having regained his divine status, he has clearly defined his future goals.
We must find a way to reunite the divine essence. Once we regain control of the divine essence, we will be in a state of spiritual emptiness at all times.
But how exactly can we re-establish our divine status?