"Exchange?" Xiao Wenbing was greatly surprised. The amiable attitude of the Divine Tree Ancestor had given him a great sense of reassurance. However, how could this power of creation be exchanged?
“Indeed, young friend, don’t you need manpower to resist the invasion of the demon realm? I am willing to provide one hundred top-level tribulation-transcending spirits to lend a helping hand.”
Xiao Wenbing's eyes lit up. One hundred spirits at the Tribulation Transcending stage—that was a formidable force. Even all the cultivators on Earth combined wouldn't be a match for them. But the Divine Tree Ancestor spoke so casually, seemingly unconcerned, clearly indicating that the spirit race's strength was indeed as formidable and unfathomable as he had said.
However, Xiao Wenbing knew even better that the amount of reward one would receive would depend on the amount of labor one would put in. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and acquiring a hundred fresh recruits for nothing was certainly not an easy task. He feared the price he would have to pay would be beyond his means.
Seeing the look in Xiao Wenbing's eyes shift from surprise to hesitation, the Divine Tree Ancestor suddenly sighed and said, "If you can agree, I also have a Dragon King's reverse scale and a Phoenix Lord's top feather here, which I will also give to you."
"What's the use of the Dragon King's reverse scale and the Phoenix Queen's crown feather?" Xiao Wenbing asked. Since the Divine Tree Ancestor was so reluctant to part with them, they must be good things.
"This is a token given to me by the previous Dragon King and Phoenix Lord. If our spirit clan needs their help in any way, we can ask for it here, and they will do their best to assist us."
Upon hearing what the Divine Tree Ancestor said, Xiao Wenbing's expression shifted, and he suddenly clapped his hands, saying, "I understand. As long as I take this to them and ask for help, they will probably send a few high-level people to me."
"Not bad," the Divine Tree Ancestor praised. "Although they can't mobilize their entire clan, they will at least send enough people, and they will not disappoint you."
Xiao Wenbing's face lit up with joy, and he asked, "Um, senior, how many of these dragon scales and phoenix feathers do you have?"
"not much."
"Not many? That means there's more than one." Xiao Wenbing stared at the Divine Tree Ancestor, trying to glean something from his face. However, the old man's expression remained unchanged, maintaining a amiable smile throughout.
"yes."
Xiao Wenbing nodded. No wonder he was so generous; it turned out he wasn't a unique item after all.
"So, have you made up your mind?"
Xiao Wenbing pondered for a moment, then asked, "What are the abilities of those spirits?"
"Very strong, I guarantee it. Although individually they are not as powerful as the Dragon and Phoenix clans, they can definitely win in a ten-on-one fight."
He rolled his eyes. "Ten to one? And you dare say that so openly?" But once you've seen the Divine Tree Ancestor in person, it's not surprising. The pillar of the world, the Tree of Life—with so many resources and manpower, wouldn't it be foolish not to use their strength to bully the weak?
If I had that many men under my command, I could easily take on a hundred or even a thousand men, let alone ten against one.
Although the total population of the spirit race may not be as large as that of the demon race and the human race, they have a powerful backer like the Divine Tree Ancestor, and with their unity, they are indeed a formidable force that cannot be underestimated.
"Alright, I agree." After much deliberation, Xiao Wenbing finally agreed. He only lost a little divine power; he could recover with a good night's sleep and a day of meditation. But this opportunity from the Divine Tree Ancestor was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. (Mi Bing'er)
Sacrificing a little is normal. It's just a matter of whether it's worth it. For example, if you just used a drop of blood to get so much bark, that's a deal you'd absolutely love.
"Okay, then stretch out your hand and place it on the tree trunk."
"Yes," Xiao Wenbing replied, walking back to the tree. A glance at it made him chuckle. A conspicuous patch of bare bark stood out on its enormous trunk. It seemed the piece of bark he had just dug off was far too large.
If it were an ordinary tree with such a large wound, it would likely not survive. But here, on this incomparably massive tree trunk, it still appears insignificant.
He stretched out his palm and placed it flat on the tree trunk, saying, "All done."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a tremendous suction force suddenly come from his palm. Although he was prepared, he never expected that the suction force would be so earth-shattering.
Almost instantly, all of his supernatural abilities were completely drained. Immediately afterward, a large amount of spiritual energy was continuously converted into supernatural abilities to provide to the Divine Tree Ancestor, while the golden core in his dantian and his natal golden talisman operated at full power. However, no matter how much Xiao Wenbing squeezed, the divine power he provided was far from sufficient.
Suddenly, Xiao Wenbing felt an extreme sense of terror wash over him, a premonition that terrified him to the extreme. It was as if, at that moment, his life, along with his supernatural power, was being drained by the Divine Tree Ancestor.
Inside the Wanbao Hall, the Treasure God, who had been staring blankly at a large pile of broken artifacts, suddenly jumped up. He roared and, through the master-servant contract, could clearly sense that Xiao Wenbing was extremely weak at this moment.
Moreover, it happened in an instant, although the strange master-servant contract they had signed did not allow him to see what kind of environment Xiao Wenbing was in at that moment.
But one thing is certain: he must have encountered a great crisis.
The precious god roared in anger. He had been stuck in this realm for countless years. The only hope that allowed him to escape the entanglements of this realm and reach the realm of gods was Xiao Wenbing. If this nominal servant were to suddenly die, he had no confidence that he could wait for the next person with the power of a creator god to arrive at Wanbaotang.
In that instant, he made up his mind: he would take action no matter what, no matter the cost.
A thick golden light emanated from his bent-over body, and in the blink of an eye, his entire body split in two, with one half becoming completely transparent.
However, just as he was about to risk sending his clone to Xiao Wenbing's side, he sensed a new change. Xiao Wenbing's life force, which had suddenly plummeted to freezing point, suddenly ignited again, radiating vitality.
Baby God was startled, and his movements involuntarily stopped. What was going on? Xiao Wenbing not only didn't seem to be injured at all, but was in an extremely good condition.
He stared at his clone, tilting his head in confusion, wondering whether he should send it out or not.
Xiao Wenbing was speechless. In that instant, he felt as if he were about to turn into a dried-up mummy, with no trace of life left.
He couldn't tell if he felt fear or sorrow; he had still been greedy. For some reason, in his final moments, he kept thinking of the old director of the orphanage, the deceased man who often said, "It's impossible for a person not to be greedy, but excessive greed leads to death."
I hadn't taken that statement to heart before. But thinking about it today, it's truly a profound truth.
All the old sayings spoken by elders are the result of countless setbacks and lessons learned. Young people may not believe them, but when they truly suffer, they will understand the meaning of "too late to regret."
Unfortunately, by the time he realized the meaning of those four words, it was too late. However, just when he thought he was doomed, the suction suddenly stopped, and a powerful life force emanated from the giant tree trunk.
If it took the Divine Tree Ancestor fifteen seconds to absorb every bit of strength and vital energy from Xiao Wenbing, then it only took less than a second to transfer the same amount of life energy back.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Wenbing's foot, which had been on the verge of death, had been withdrawn. From the moment he was on the verge of death to the moment he was full of energy, the entire process took less than a second.
Staring in astonishment at the large tree before him, Xiao Wenbing felt utterly bewildered. What was going on?
"Do you need any help?"
A rumbling sound echoed in his mind, and at the same time, a powerful energy began to gather around him, an irresistible pressure.
Strands of lightning flashed past Xiao Wenbing, the nascent, powerful energy seemingly clashing violently with the vast, boundless tree trunk before him. Perhaps neither the Treasure God nor the Divine Tree Ancestor could tolerate having someone beside them capable of rivaling them.
Xiao Wenbing felt a sense of relief; no matter the reason, the precious god always cared about him. However, he didn't want to see the two of them fight: "It's not necessary for now, Master. Thank you, please go back."
Baby God was taken aback. Although they were master and servant, it was the first time Xiao Wenbing had ever spoken to him in such a gentle tone.
Since it was the first time, he had to give them face. So, after a moment's hesitation, the precious god reluctantly withdrew the energy of his clone. However, he was also deeply surprised. In this realm, there was actually someone who could rival him, and what he found even more unbelievable was that this person's cultivation level seemed extremely low, yet why did they possess a powerful aura that was in no way inferior to his own?
"Haha, young friend, are you alright?" The Divine Tree Ancestor seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He had really faced the only god in the cultivation world. Even he dared not say that he could be sure of victory.
It is highly likely that the final result will be the unleashing of the powerful chaotic force that has been condensed and cannot be dispersed in this realm, leading to the mutual destruction and annihilation of everyone.
"Thank goodness, what just happened?" Xiao Wenbing asked.
"Well, this..." Even the thick-skinned Ancestor of the Divine Tree, who had been around for countless years, felt a little embarrassed at this moment. "This is the first time in countless years that I have absorbed the power of the Creator God, so I couldn't help but absorb a little more than I should have."
Xiao Wenbing's lips twitched slightly as he inhaled a little too much. He was almost sucked dry. How could that be considered inhaling a little too much?
The Divine Tree Ancestor continued, "If that deity hadn't suddenly unleashed such immense hostility, I might not have been able to awaken. It was truly a stroke of luck."
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Xiao Wenbing's forehead. Shenmu Laomi Bing'erzu's bluntness had truly made him feel a little uneasy.
"My precious god, I'm so grateful to have you as my master!" he cried out in his heart. Whether the precious god could receive his message was anyone's guess.
"Although I have given you more abundant life energy in the end, as compensation, you may make a reasonable request to me."
"One request?"
"yes."
The indignation in Xiao Wenbing's eyes vanished. To receive a promise from the Divine Tree Ancestor was an unexpected and tremendous stroke of good fortune. He pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "How about we bring it up later?"
"Of course, but..."
"But what?"
"However, when you come again in the future, may I absorb divine power once more?"
"…………"
Volume 4, Chapter 212: The King of Food
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Outside the thick fog, Zhang Yaqi and Feng Baiyi looked surprised. Just a short while ago, they both sensed a special change in Xiao Wenbing.
Because of the Three Powers and Five Elements Formation, they share a mysterious spiritual connection. As long as they are not too far apart, they can roughly sense each other's state.
So when Xiao Wenbing was on his deathbed, the two women immediately noticed. However, this situation did not last long. Simply put, in just a moment, before they could react, the enormous life force within Xiao Wenbing once again bewildered them.
The two women frowned, seemingly unable to adapt to Xiao Wenbing's sudden change. Even with their exceptional intelligence, they couldn't fathom what circumstances might have led to such a turn of events.
Just as they hesitated about whether to risk entering the thick fog, they sensed a familiar presence approaching them. A short while later, Xiao Wenbing, beaming, followed Mu Ling out of the fog.
"Wenbing, are you alright?" Zhang Yaqi appeared beside Xiao Wenbing in a flash. This time, her concern for Xiao Wenbing overcame her reserve, so she immediately went to greet him and asked with concern.
"Hehe, don't worry, it couldn't be better." Xiao Wenbing was speaking the absolute truth. In his current state, after absorbing a large amount of life energy from the Divine Tree Ancestor, both his physical and mental abilities were at their absolute peak. He even dared not take too big a step when walking. Because under the stimulation of the powerful life energy, a certain unsightly part of his body had uncontrollably become erect.
"Okay, that's good." Although Zhang Yaqi clearly saw the smile on Xiao Wenbing's face, she only felt truly relieved when he explicitly said it.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao, let's choose our companions first before we set off," Mu Wudi, Long Mibing, and Erling said with a faint smile.
“Alright. However, I don’t plan to go to the Dragon and Phoenix clans.” Xiao Wenbing suddenly said.
"Hmm...why?" Mu Ling was taken aback. Wasn't he supposed to visit the other two clans? Why did he suddenly change his mind?
"Hehe... I have my own plans." A confident smile flashed across Xiao Wenbing's face.
After pondering for a moment, Mu Ling finally said, "Let it be as Fellow Daoist Xiao wishes."
"Alright, Brother Mu, please lead the way, let's go and pick a hundred monster kings."
"The King of Spirits?" Mu Ling was greatly surprised. What kind of spirit was this? He had never heard of it before.
“Exactly.” Xiao Wenbing said with a serious expression, “Since demons in the Tribulation Transcending stage address each other as ‘Great King,’ then the spirit race will naturally follow suit.”
Mu Ling gave a wry smile, seemingly helpless at his twisted logic. He shook his head, turned around with a sigh, and continued leading the way.
Soon, after turning around the valley, we entered the Mustard Seed Space, which contained the scenery of all four seasons.
Xiao Wenbing sighed deeply, his admiration for the Divine Tree Ancestor growing even stronger. He hadn't realized how vast this mustard seed space was from the outside, but once inside, he understood its immense size, far exceeding his expectations. While it didn't possess the same intense visual impact as the enormous tree trunk, it was more than enough to boast about.
Countless spirits passed by them, some glancing at them curiously, but most ignoring them completely. Clearly, these spirits also possessed the inherent flaws of humanity, showing no interest in Xiao Wenbing and his companions at the Golden Core stage.
At this moment, a tall and thin Venerable Shenmu came forward, bowed to Xiao Wenbing, and said in a very unpleasant voice, "Divine Envoy, the Ancestor has instructed that you may choose one hundred companions in the Tribulation Transcending stage to accompany you."
"Hmm? You want me to choose myself?"
"Yes."
Xiao Wenbing frowned and turned to ask, "Brother Muling, do you have any good suggestions?"
Mu Ling was clearly surprised that Xiao Wenbing would ask him this question. After thinking for a while, he replied, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, I wonder what kind of talent you need."
"What's the difference?"